Bated breath idiom meaning

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At the end of your tether because you are treated as a dogsbody? Falconry and the sea are two rich sources of English expressions. Quirky idioms have embellished everyday English language for centuries, as you will be aware if someone rubbed you up the wrong way recently by jumping the gun out of the blue. When hangry , bants and manspreading made it into the dictionary last month, it was further recognition of the creative new ways we find to communicate. The bird can become short of breath as it flies on the spot, waiting to be released by its handler. A tether is another word for the string tied to a falcon to stop it flying off. This phrase comes from the action of a bird, typically a young, untrained falcon, who bates from his perch — hence being at the end of your tether, meaning being a bit frustrated, to say the least.

Bated breath idiom meaning

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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'with bated breath. Send us feedback about these examples. Accessed 6 Mar. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! See Definitions and Examples ».

The idea being that one couldn't hold one's breath long enough for the unlikely thing to happen. If know you hope Monica comes to the meeting, but don't hold your breath—she hasn't been to one all year. The phrase suggests that one is breathing shallowly in anticipation of something. I've been waiting with bated breath to hear back from my first-choice school. Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. Do not stop breathing waiting for something to happen that won't happen. Meaning that it will take longer for it to happen than you can possibly hold your breath. Tom: The front yard is such a mess.

Bated breath idiom meaning

Which is it - bated or baited? We have baited hooks and baited traps, but bated - what's that? Bated doesn't even seem to be a real word, where else do you hear it? Having said that, 'baited breath' makes little sense either. How can breath be baited? With worms?

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My word lists. Collins API. Wordle Helper. Please subscribe or login to access full text content. Grammar Thesaurus. Italian images. Missing Letter A crossword with a twist Play. We listened with bated breath to Grandma's stories of her travels. These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content that does not reflect the opinions or policies of Collins, or its parent company HarperCollins. A haggard falcon is one that is caught from the wild as an adult. Can you solve 4 words at once? Word lists shared by our community of dictionary fans. Read More. English—Swedish Swedish—English. Spanish grammar.

Why is this a common idiom in American English? And where did it originate? When you are waiting for someone or something eagerly with a lot of expectation, then this phrase can be used.

Play Play. Please subscribe or login to access full text content. Mandarin Chinese images. Grammar Thesaurus. Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! Log In. Definition of with bated breath from the Collins English Dictionary. English—German German—English. Sign in via your Institution. Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English. Find at OUP. Mastering politeness in English: Harness the charm of 'please' and 'thank you' for positive and impactful communication. My word lists.