anxious seat
Americannoun
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Also called anxious bench. Chiefly North Atlantic States and Southern and South Midland U.S. a seat reserved at a revival meeting for those troubled by conscience and eager for spiritual assistance.
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a state of anxiety, especially about the outcome of a vote, negotiation, etc..
Strikers have been in the anxious seat for the last three days.
Etymology
Origin of anxious seat
An Americanism dating back to 1810–20
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Other items which Sir William traces far include: absquatulate, anxious seat, slam bang, cinch, lengthy, maverick, rain check, barn stormer, cowcatcher, calamity howler, greased lightning, rambunctious.
From Time Magazine Archive
Calvin Coolidge has had everybody on the anxious seat for months as to who he would sup port in the November handicap.
From Time Magazine Archive
Purposely to keep their unworthy opponents on the anxious seat they did not immediately answer the notice sent them.
From Marjorie Dean, College Sophomore by Pauline Lester
"Do you think you can hold on?" asked Buck, beginning to lower away with tantalizing slowness, as though he enjoyed keeping Fred on the anxious seat.
From Fred Fenton on the Track or, The Athletes of Riverport School by Allen Chapman
"I don't care to have the pirate suppose we are on the anxious seat."
From Asiatic Breezes Students on The Wing by Oliver Optic
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
