1856. Whyte Melville, Kate Coventry, ch. xv. Lady Horsingham was
tolerably courageous, but totally destitute of what is termed hand,
a quality as necessary in driving as in riding, particularly with
fractious or high-spirited horses.
A good (or cool, neat, old, fine, etc.) hand, subs. phr.
(colloquial).—An expert.
1748. T. Dyche, Dictionary (5th ed.), s.v. Hand (v.). ‘He is a good
hand,’ spoke of one that is an artist in some particular mechanical
art or trade, etc.
1773. Goldsmith, She Stoops to Conquer, iii., 1. When I was in my
best story of the Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene, he asked
if I had not a good hand at making punch.
1854. Whyte Melville, General Bounce, xii. A quaint boy at Eton,
cool hand at Oxford, a deep card in the regiment, man or woman
never yet had the best of ‘Uppy.’
1877. Five Years’ Penal Servitude, i., p. 33. The new man, the
green hand, takes little or no heed of the entrance of the
officers.... Not so the old hand.
1886. R. L. Stevenson, Kidnapped, p. 195. Ye’re a grand hand at the
sleeping!
1892. W. E. Gladstone, Times ‘Report.’... This old Parliamentary
hand.
1892. Henley and Stevenson, Deacon Brodie, i., 7, p. 18. You always
was a neat hand with the bones.
A hand like a foot, phr. (common).—A large, coarse hand. Also a vulgar
or uneducated handwriting.
1738. Swift, Polite Conversation, i. Col. Whoe’er writ it with a
hand like a foot.
A hand like a fist, phr. (gamesters’).—A hand full of trumps. Also (in
derision) a hand there’s no playing.
To take a hand with the outside music, verb. phr. (American).—See quot.
1892. J. L. Sullivan, A 19th Century Gladiator, iii. After
thirty-seven rounds in fifty-five minutes, the umpires and seconds
got into a fight, and Sullivan felt fresh enough to take a hand in
the outside music.
To get a hand on, verb. phr. (tailors’).—To suspect; to be distrustful.
To get one’s hand in, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To practise with a view
to proficiency.
To get one’s hand on it, verb. phr. (venery).—To grope a woman.
To bear a hand, verb. phr. (old).—See quot.
1811. Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v. Bear a hand, make haste.
To bring up by hand, verb. phr. (venery).—To procure erection manually.
To bring down (or off) by hand, verb. phr. (venery).—To masturbate. For
synonyms, see Frig.
To stand one’s hand, verb. phr. (Australian).—To Treat (q.v.); to Stand
Sam (q.v.).
1892. Hume Nisbet, Bushranger’s Sweetheart, p. 58. I used to see
her at some of the public-houses frequented by Mrs. Condon,
standing her hand liberally to all who happened to be in the bar,
and therefore being made much of by the thirsty loafers whom she
treated.
To hand in one’s chips (or checks).—See Cash one’s Checks.
To have (or get) the upper hand, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To have at an
advantage; to get to windward (q.v.).
1886. R. L. Stevenson, Kidnapped, p. 173. I was growing impatient
to get back and have the upper hand of my uncle.
To hand up, verb. (Winchester College).—To give information against; to
betray.—Notions.
Hands up! intj. (common).—An injunction to desist; stow it! (q.v.).
Also (police) = a command to surrender. Bail up (q.v.).
1888. J. Runciman, The Chequers, p. 120. Hands up! Jerry.
[Amongst other colloquial usages of Hand are the following:—At hand
= readily, hard by; at any hand (Shakspeare) = on any account; at
no hand = on no account; for one’s own hand = for one’s own purpose
or interest; from hand to hand = from one to another; in hand = in
a state of preparation, under consideration, or control; off one’s
hands = finished; on hand = in possession; in one’s hands = in
one’s care; out of hand = completed, without hesitation; to one’s
hand = ready; hand over head = negligently, rashly; hand to mouth =
improvident; hands off! = stand off; heavy on hand = hard to
manage; hot at hand = difficult to manage; light in hand = easy to
manage; to ask (or give) the hand of = to ask (or give) in
marriage; to be hand and glove with = to be very intimate with; to
bear a hand = to help; to bear in (or on) hand = to cheat or mock
by false promises; to change hands = to change owners; to come to
hand = to be received; to get hand = to gain influence; to give a
hand = to applaud; to give the hand to = to be reconciled to; to
have a hand in = to have a share in; to have one’s hands full = to
be fully occupied; to hold hands with = to vie with, to hold one’s
own; to lay hands on = to assault, to seize; to lend a hand = to
help; to make a hand = to gain an advantage; to put (or stretch)
forth the hand against = to use violence; to set the hand to = to
undertake; to strike hands = to make a bargain; to take by the hand
= to take under one’s guidance; to take in hand = to attempt; to
wash one’s hands of = to disclaim responsibility; a heavy hand =
severity; a light hand = gentleness; a slack hand = idleness,
carelessness; a strict hand = severe discipline; clean hands =
freedom from guilt; to stand one in hand = to concern, to be of
importance to; hand to fist = tête-a-tête, hip to haunch; hand over
hand = easily; to get a hand = to be applauded.]
Hand-and-Pocket Shop, subs. phr. (old).—See quot.
1811. Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v. Hand-and-Pocket-Shop. An eating
house, where ready money is paid for what is called for.
Handbasket-portion, subs. (old).—See quot.
1811. Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v. Hand-basket-portion. A woman whose
husband receives frequent presents from her father, or family, is
said to have a hand-basket-portion.
Handbinder (in. pl.), subs. (old).—Chains for the wrists. For synonyms,
see Darbies.
1696. Ray, Nomenclator, Menotes, liens à lier les mains, fers à
enferrer les mains. Manicls, or handbinders.
Hander, subs. (schoolboys’).—A stroke on the hand with a cane; a palmie
(q.v.).
1868. Jas. Greenwood, Purgatory of Peter the Cruel, v., 149. You’ve
been playing the wag, and you’ve got to take your handers.
Handicap, subs. (colloquial).—An arrangement in racing, etc., by which
every competitor is, or is supposed to be, brought on an equality so
far as regards his chance of winning by an adjustment of the weights to
be carried, the distance to be run, etc.: extra weight or distance
being imposed in proportion to their supposed merits on those held
better than the others. [A handicap is framed in accordance with the
known performances of the competitors, and, in horse-racing, with
regard to the age and sex of the entries. The term is derived from the
old game of hand-in-cap, or handicap.]
1660. Pepys, Diary, 18 Sep. Here some of us fell to handycapp, a
sport that I never knew before.
1883. Hawley Smart, Hard Lines xxi. The race carried so many
penalties and allowances that it partook somewhat of the nature of
a handicap.
Verb (colloquial). 1. To adjust or proportion weights, starts, etc., in
order to bring a number of competitors as nearly as possible to an
equality.
1841. Lever, Charles O’Malley, ch. lxviii. Pleasant and cheerful
enough, when they’re handicapping the coat off your back, and your
new tilbury for a spavined pony and a cotton umbrella; but regular
devils if you come to cross them the least in life.