on pins and needles

on pins and needles

Meaning

• being anxious or nervous
• agitated, or in suspense
• in a worried or excited state
• to be tense
• waiting nervously for something

Example Sentences

1. We have been on pins and needles since we got the news that she had been stranded in the hills amidst a landslide.
2. He has been on pins and needles all day today, waiting for a call from the company he had applied to for a job.
3. Make sure that you inform me once you reach; I'll be on pins and needles until I hear from you.
4. When his wife went into labour and was shifted to the delivery room, he became very anxious and seemed to be on pins and needles.
5. My brother has been on pins and needles since yesterday as his exam results are scheduled to be declared today.
6. She has been on pins and needles since her son went out on his first camping trip with friends.
7. Following reports of gunfire and casualties near his wife's workplace, he was on pins and needles until she called him to say she was safe.

Origin

The phrase originated in the early 1800s, and refers to the sharp, tingling and uncomfortable sensation experienced when recovering from numbness.