--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Open ground was very important to the…" description: "\"“Open ground was very important to the cloth industry: when large bolts of fabric were treated, they needed to be dried on the ‘tenter grounds’ marked ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25d/lucy-inglis-51217_tenterhooks_open-ground-was-very-important-to-the-cl_757191.jpg" --- # Open ground was very important to the cloth industry: when… ![“Open ground was very important to the cloth industry: when large bolts of fabric were treated, they needed to be dried on the ‘tenter grounds’ marked on many of the maps of the area. To prevent the dyes settling unevenly, they were pulled out tightly with tenterhooks, giving us the saying ‘being…” quote by Lucy Inglis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25d/lucy-inglis-51217_tenterhooks_open-ground-was-very-important-to-the-cl_757191.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25d/lucy-inglis-51217_tenterhooks_open-ground-was-very-important-to-the-cl_757191.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/25d/lucy-inglis-51217_tenterhooks_open-ground-was-very-important-to-the-cl_757191.jpg) > ““Open ground was very important to the cloth industry: when large bolts of fabric were treated, they needed to be dried on the ‘tenter grounds’ marked on many of the maps of the area. To prevent the dyes settling unevenly, they were pulled out tightly with tenterhooks, giving us the saying ‘being on tenterhooks’.”” [Lucy Inglis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-inglis/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The term “on tenterhooks” originates from cloth drying methods that kept fabric taut, metaphorically describing anxious anticipation. **In simple terms:** Origin of phrase linked to cloth drying. Key Takeaway Know phrase origins. Themes language history metaphor anxiety Mood educational informative Type linguistic historical When to use this quote - writing - public speaking - teaching - learning Key Concepts etymology industrial history Questions to Reflect On - How does knowing a phrase’s origin change its impact? - When might you use “on tenterhooks” effectively? A Different Perspective Metaphors can become cliché. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [Tenterhooks are the upholstery of the anxious seat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-sherwood/tenterhooks-are-the-upholstery-of-the-anxious-seat/) [Robert E. Sherwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-sherwood/) ## More by Lucy Inglis > [“By the early Victorian period, there were eighteen receiving houses in London, and the Illustrated London News estimated some 200,000 people were bathing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-inglis/by-the-early-victorian-period-there-were-eighteen-receiving-houses-in/) [Lucy Inglis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-inglis/) > [“In the same year, William Henly, a Fellow of the Royal Society, wrote to the Humane Society with a suggestion that electricity be used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-inglis/in-the-same-year-william-henly-a-fellow-of-the-royal-society-wrote-to/) [Lucy Inglis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-inglis/) > [“The Royal Humane Society had taught resuscitation techniques to many Londoners, and the Society’s receiving houses formed the earliest model for what became Accident…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-inglis/the-royal-humane-society-had-taught-resuscitation-techniques-to-many/) [Lucy Inglis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-inglis/) > [“The area housed many successful medium-sized businesses, such as the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, founded in 1570 (and Britain’s oldest continual manufacturer). By the eighteenth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-inglis/the-area-housed-many-successful-medium-sized-businesses-such-as-the/) [Lucy Inglis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-inglis/) > [“By 1722, traffic on the bridge was so great that the wagons and carts were fined if they didn’t have their pennies ready to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-inglis/by-1722-traffic-on-the-bridge-was-so-great-that-the-wagons-and-carts/) [Lucy Inglis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-inglis/) > [“Mansfield ruled that habeas corpus applied to anyone in England, even if they originated elsewhere. He was aware of the significance of his ruling,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucy-inglis/mansfield-ruled-that-habeas-corpus-applied-to-anyone-in-england-even/) [Lucy Inglis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-inglis/) [Explore all 7 Lucy Inglis quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucy-inglis/) ## More Tenterhooks quotes > [Tenterhooks are the upholstery of the anxious seat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-sherwood/tenterhooks-are-the-upholstery-of-the-anxious-seat/) [Robert E. Sherwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-sherwood/) Browse all 2 Tenterhooks quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Open ground was very important to the cloth industry: when large bolts of fabric were treated, they needed to be dried on the ‘tenter grounds’ marked on many of the maps of the area. 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