on edge
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Tense, nervous, irritable, as in We were all on edge as we waited for the surgeon's report. This expression transfers the edge of a cutting instrument to one's feelings. [Late 1800s] Also see on the edge; set one's teeth on edge.
QUIZ
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Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.
Words nearby on edge
on earth, on easy street, one-bagger, one-base hit, one by one, on edge, one-dimensional, one-down, one-drop rule, one-eighty, one-eyed
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.