a nail-biter

1. Literally, someone who bites off his or her fingernails, especially due to nervousness or agitation. I was a nail-biter at a young age, and, try as I might, I've never managed to shake the habit completely.

2. By extension, a situation, especially a competitive one, whose outcome is particularly close or uncertain and marked by nervous apprehension. Did you catch the football match last Sunday? Man, what a nail-biter! With how close these two candidates are, this election is sure to be a real nail-biter in its final moments.

Common Names:

Name	Pronounced	Usage
Hamilton	HAM-il-tən	English
Ismael	['ismiəl]
Andronicus	-	Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Maria	mah-REE-ah (Italian, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch), mə-REE-ə (Catalan, English), MAHR-yah (Polish), MAH-ree-ah (Finnish)	Italian, Portuguese, Catalan, Occitan, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Faroese, Dutch, Frisian,
Plinio	-	Italian, Spanish
Thalia	[θə'laiə]