on edge:紧张不安、神经绷紧、如坐针毡(常指因为压力、担心或局势不稳而“快要爆发/一触即发”的状态)。
也可作字面义:在边缘上(较少见于口语比喻用法之外的语境)。
/ɒn edʒ/(BrE), /ɑn ɛdʒ/(AmE)
I’ve been on edge all day.
我一整天都很紧张不安。
With deadlines piling up and the news getting worse, everyone in the office was on edge, snapping at small mistakes.
截止日期接连逼近、坏消息不断,办公室里每个人都神经紧绷,对一点小错误都忍不住发火。
edge 原意是“边缘、刃”,引申出“处在边缘/临界点”的意象;on edge 便用来比喻人处在情绪或局势的“临界状态”,容易被触发、难以放松。