Meaning
To be very nervous or tense, making one's hands sweat.
Practice Bank
3 exercises그 드라마의 마지막 회는 너무 긴장돼서 [___]. (The last episode of that drama was so tense that my hands were sweating.)
경기 내내 선수들의 움직임 하나하나에 [___]. (Throughout the game, every move of the players made my hands sweat.)
면접관의 날카로운 질문에 [___]. (The interviewer's sharp questions made my hands sweat.)
🎉 Score: /3
The Korean idiom '손에 땀을 쥐다' (son-e ttam-eul jwida) literally translates to 'to grip sweat in one's hands.' This vivid imagery directly reflects the physiological response to extreme nervousness or tension, where one's palms become sweaty. The idiom is believed to have originated from observations of human reactions in stressful situations, where the physical manifestation of anxiety — sweaty hands — is a common and easily recognizable symptom. The phrase has been used for centuries in Korean language to describe moments of high suspense, excitement, or anxiety. It is often applied to situations like watching a thrilling sports game, awaiting important results, or experiencing a close call. The 'gripping' aspect of the phrase emphasizes the intensity of the feeling, suggesting that the tension is so great one might metaphorically 'grip' or hold onto the sweat in their hands as a physical embodiment of their internal state. While precise historical documents pinpointing its exact first usage are scarce, the idiom's structure and meaning align with common linguistic patterns in Korean that use bodily functions or simple actions to convey complex emotions. Similar expressions exist in other languages, highlighting the universal nature of this physical reaction to stress. The enduring popularity of '손에 땀을 쥐다' in modern Korean underscores its effectiveness in conveying a strong sense of tension and nervousness.
