Idiom: Hunching at the bit

[Beckenham1]

I was watching an interesting movie by James McAvoy recently; Trance (2013).

When he was interviewed about why he took the part,
James says: "I was hunching at the bit, as we say in Scotland... It just means I was desperate...I was hungry to play this part." http://www.npr.org/2013/03/30/175709286 ... own-trance.

This is impossible surely, it must be a mis-quote by the interviewer. I can find no use of this idiom in Scotland, or even Scottish usage of "hunch" in this way. It has to be "chomping at the bit".

Does anyone disagree, is there such a Scottish idiom?

[nelmit]

I've certainly never heard of it.

I would say 'champing at the bit' but even that phrase isn't localised to Scotland.

Regards,
Annette

[WilmaM]

Never heard of it.

'Champing at the bit' is the obvious one.

Though I have to say a lot of phrases are being 'rewritten' by the younger generation, as they mishear things and never see them written down so continue to say the wrong thing.
I'm often at my teenagers for that very thing!

[Andersonic]

"Munching at the bit"??