Is That a Typo?

Fandango

1CEE200D-78FD-40CA-8233-26A7EA1B87F2I was sure that WordPress had a serious typo in today’s one word prompt, “tenterhooks.” I was absolutely positive the word was supposed to be “tenderhooks,” a word I’ve use occasionally to mean to be filled with painful or anxious anticipation or suspense. Like when you and your girlfriend are waiting to see if that plastic pregnancy test stick she peed on has a little plus sign in the window.

So I was going to write a snide post in which I would be laughing my virtual ass off at Michelle Weber, who posted the prompt, for her careless error. It turns out, though, that the error is mine. “Tenterhooks” it is! Sad!

Then I figured that tenterhooks must be hooks that campers use to secure their tents. I’ve tent-camped many times and had never heard of that term, so I thought maybe it was an archaic term for tent poles, stakes, or ropes. To confirm that, I Googled “tenterhooks.”

It turns out that tenterhooks have nothing whatsoever to do with tents. The word “tenterhooks” comes from the metal hooks that manufacturers used to stretch wool on a tenter while it dried. A tenter is a wooden frame, often in the form of a line of fencing, used to hang woollen or linen cloth to prevent it from shrinking as it dries. The tenterhooks are, not surprisingly, the hooks on the tenter used to hold the cloth in place.

Tenters are no longer everyday objects, but a hundred years ago, in wool weaving areas like the north of England, they were a common sight on the land around the many woollen mills, called “tenter-fields.”

Who knew? So I apologize to WordPress and to Michelle Weber for thinking it was a typo. And I am now swearing off ever using the phrase, “I’m on tenderhooks.”

By the way, she wasn’t pregnant.

16 thoughts on “Is That a Typo?”

  4. newepicauthor December 3, 2017 / 10:14 am

    I hate it when I think it is a mistake and then it turns out that I was wrong, but you did the only logical thing which was to admit that you were wrong and you did it so graciously. Good going!

    Liked by 1 person

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  5. Emilio Pasquale December 3, 2017 / 5:56 pm

    It takes a big man to admit when he is wrong. I rather small myself. Actually tiny! 😁

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  6. henacynflin December 4, 2017 / 6:18 am

    Though I guess as the tenterhooks make a tent out of the cloth, a tent being cloth stretched, it does have a little to do with tents 😉

    Liked by 1 person

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  7. BuzzCut December 4, 2017 / 8:32 am

    You are not alone – I’ve made the same mistake and it appears many of us learned something today

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
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