stand on end

stand on end (third-person singular simple present stands on end, present participle standing on end, simple past and past participle stood on end)

1. (of hair) To stand erect, bristle, especially from fear.

   The horrifying tales he told made my hair stand on end.

2. To place on its end. (of an object)
   • 1961 February, R. K. Evans, “The role of research on British Railways”, in Trains Illustrated, page 93:

     At one time a "standard test" for carriage riding was to stand a pencil on end on the compartment floor, or to measure how long it was possible to stand on one leg without touching the corridor walls; [...].

• goosebump