I left a comment on my friend Beth's Blue Ridge Blue Collar Girl blog that said I was waiting with bated breath for her next post. When I thought about it later (I really should learn to trust myself), I wondered if I had spelled the word correctly and went in search of "bated" at Dictionary.com. That's where I learned that "with bated breath" is idiomatic.—IdiomThe Free Dictionary added:
4. with bated breath, with breath drawn in or held because of anticipation or suspense: We watched with bated breath as the runners approached the finish line.
If you wait for something with bated breath, you feel very excited or anxious while you are waiting.I cross-posted this on my Joyful Noiseletter blog, the one that's all about words.
I'm the same way, Bonnie. I'll use a word or phrase, then start doubting myself. Thank goodness, my correct usage is usually confirmed when I look it up. But not always!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I can't tell you how many times I've seen people spell it as "baited" breath. :-)
Thanks for the mention!