1606. Chapman, Gentleman Usher, iii., 5. Now let the sport begin: I
think my love will handle him as well as I have done.
1811. Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v. Handle. To know how to handle
one’s fists; to be skilful in the art of boxing.
1836. Dickens, Pickwick, ii., 7. Smart chap that cabman—handled his
fives well.
1892. Henley and Stevenson, Admiral Guinea, ii., 5. Commander, you
handled him like a babby, kept the weather gauge, and hulled him
every shot.
To handle the ribbons, verb. phr. (common).—To drive.
1857. Moncrieff, Bashful Man, ii. 4. Shouldn’t have any objection
in life, squire, to let you handle the ribands for a stage or two,
but four-in-hand, you know, requires——.
1872. Evening Standard, 10 Aug. The Princess of Wales is expected,
and her Royal Highness has several times during the week driven
through the town in an open phaeton, drawn by four beautiful
ponies, and she appears to handle the ribbons in a very skilful
manner.
1891. N. Gould, Double Event, p. 198. It was agreed Marston should
handle the ribbons.
1892. Milliken, ’Arry Ballads, p. 32. He ’andled the ribbings to
rights.
To fly off the handle. See Fly, to which add the following earlier
quot.
1825. Neal, Brother Jonathan, bk. I., ch. iv. Most off the handle,
some o’ the tribe, I guess.
Hand-me-downs (or Hand-’em-downs), subs. (common).—Second-hand clothes.
Hand-me-down-shop, or Never-too-late-to-mend-shop = a repairing
tailors’. Fr., un decrochez-moi-ça.
1878. Notes and Queries, 5, s. ix., 6 Apr., p. 263. Hand-’em-down—A
second-hand garment (Northamptonshire).
1888. New York World, 5 Mar. Russell Sage, it is said, walked into
a Broadway clothing store the other day and tried on and purchased
a twelve-dollar suit of hand-me-downs.
1889. Sporting Times, 29 June. Trousers which fit him nowhere in
particular, and which all over proclaim themselves entitled to the
epithet of hand-me-downs.
English Synonyms.—Reach-me-downs; translations; wall-flowers.
French Synonyms.—La musique (popular); la mise-bas (servants’:
especially ‘perks’).
Hand-out, subs. (American).—Food to a tramp at the door.
1887. Morley Roberts, The Western Avernus. Some of the boys said it
was a regular hand-out, and that we looked like a crowd of old
bummers.
Handpiece, subs. (American).—A handkerchief. For synonyms, see Wipe.
1852. Bristed, Upper Ten Thousand, p. 67. Then ... he tied his
white hand-pieces to an opening made for the purpose on one side of
the dashboard.
Handsaw, subs. (common).—A street vendor of knives and razors; an
itinerant Chive-fencer (q.v.).
Handsome, adj. and adv. (colloquial, and formerly literary).—Sharp,
severe; convenient, fit; neat, graceful; dextrous, skilful, ready;
ample, generous, liberal; manageable; in good or proper style; and (in
America) grand or beautiful.
1553. Wilson, Arte of Rhetorique, p. 3. Phauorinus the Philosopher
did hit a yong man ouer the thumbes very handsomely.
1553–99. Spenser, Wks. For a thief it is so handsome, As it may
seem it was first invented by him.
1590. Goldynge, Cæsar, p. 220. They had not so handsome horses.
1593. Shakspeare, Titus Andronicus, ii., 3. If we miss to meet him
handsomely.
1600. P. Holland, Livy, p. 255. A light footman’s shield he takes
with him, and a Spanish blade by his side, more handsome to fight
short and close.
1604. Shakspeare, Winter’s Tale, iv., 3. His garments are rich, but
he wears them not handsomely.
1614. Raleigh, History of the World, Bk. III., ch. viii., § 6.
Playing their games handsomely against so nimble a wit.
1672–1719. Addison, Wks. An alms-house, which I intend to endow
very handsomely.
1778–79. V. Knox, Essays, 102. A handsome sum of money.
1798. Lodge, Illust. Brit. Hist., i., 178. He is very desyrus to
serve your Grace, and seymes to me to be a very handsome man.
1848. Ruxton, Life in the Far West, p. 8. He turned on his back
handsome.
To do the handsome (or the handsome thing), verb. phr. (common).—To
behave extremely well; to be ‘civil.’
1887. Manville Fenn, This Man’s Wife, ii., 15. Sir Gordon’s ready
to do the handsome thing.
Handsome is that handsome does, phr. (colloquial).—‘Actions, not words,
are the test of merit’; also ironically of ill-favoured persons.
1811. Lexicon Balatronicum. Handsome is that handsome does: a
proverb frequently cited by ugly women.
Handsome-bodied in the face, adv. phr. (old).—See quot.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v. Handsome Bodied Man in the Face, a
jeering commendation of an ugly fellow.
Handsome as a last year’s corpse, adv. phr. (American).—A sarcastic
compliment.
Handsomely! intj. (nautical).—Gently! A cry to signify smartly, but
carefully. Also Handsomely over the bricks = Go cautiously.
Handsome-reward, subs. phr. (old).—See quot.
1811. Lexicon Balatronicum. Handsome-reward. This, in
advertisements, means a horse-whipping.
Handsprings. To chuck handsprings, verb. phr. (common).—To turn
somersaults.
Handstaff, subs. (venery).—The penis. For synonyms, see Creamstick and
Prick. [From that member of the flail which is held in the hands].
Handy. Handy as a pocket in a shirt, phr. (American).—Very convenient.
Handy-blows, (or cuffs), subs. (old).—Cuffs with the hand; fisticuffs;
hence close quarters.
1603. Knolles, Hist. of the Turkes. If ever they came to
handy-blows.
1690. B. E., Cant. Crew, s.v. Handy Blows, Fistycuffs.
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v.
Handy-man, subs. (colloquial).—A servant or workman doing odd jobs.
1847. De Quincey, The Spanish Military Nun, Wks. (1890), xiii.,
165. She was a handy girl. She could turn her hand to anything.
1872. Times, 27 Aug. ‘Autumn Manœuvres.’ The result is he cannot be
called a handy-man.
1889. Pall Mall Gaz., 8 Nov., p. 2, c. 1. Again did Mr. Sambourne’s
handy-man appear, this time clad in the real robes of the Lord
Mayor.
1892. Hume Nisbet, Bushranger’s Sweetheart, p. 55. He was a
handy-man.
Hang, subs. (colloquial).—1. The general drift, tendency, or bent: as
in to get the hang of = to get conversant with; to acquire the trick,
or knack, or knowledge of.
1847. Darley, Drama in Pokerville, p. 67. The theatre was cleared
in an instant ... all running to get the hang of the scrape.
1848. Jones, Sketches of Travel, p. 70. By this time I began to git
the hang of the place a little better.
1851. Hooper, Widow Rugby’s Husband, etc., p. 64. To be efficient a
solicitor must get the hang of his customers.
a. 1871. Prime, Hist. of Long Island, p. 82. If ever you must have
an indifferent teacher for your children, let it be after they have
got a fair start and have acquired the hang of the tools for
themselves.
1884. Milliken, Punch, 11 Oct. They ain’t got the ’ang of it,
Charlie, the toffs ain’t.
1890. Daily Chronicle, 4 Apr., p. 7 c. 2. When the Raw Cadet enters
Woolwich Academy, it is sometime before he gets what some call the
hang of the place.
1892. Illustrated Bits, Oct. 22, p. 6. c. 2. When I get the hang of
them I shall be a regular dab at theosophy.
2. (colloquial).—A little bit; a bit; a Damn. See Care. Fr., s’en
contreficher or s’en tamponner le coquard (or coquillard).
1861. H. Kingsley, Ravenshoe, ch. xliii. She looks as well as you
by candle-light, but she can’t ride a hang.
Verb (generally Hang it!).—An exclamation of vexation, disgust, or
disappointment; also, more forcibly, a euphemism for Damn it! Fr., Ah!
mince alors.
1598. Shakspeare, 2 Henry IV., ii., 4. He a good wit? hang him,
baboon!
1609. Jonson, Epicœne, ii., 2. A mere talking mole, hang him.
1614. Jonson, Bartholomew Fair, v. 3. Ay, and be hanged.
1694. Dunton, Ladies’ Dict., p. 229. Aristænetus telling a brisk
buxom Lass of a proper fine Man that would make her a good Husband,
Hang him [reply’d she] he has no Mony.
1772. Coles, Eng.-Lat. Dict., s.v. Hanged. Go and be hanged.
1780. Mrs. Cowley, Belle’s Stratagem, iv., 1. Hang Harriet, and
Charlotte, and Maria! the name your father gave ye?
1823. W. T. Moncrieff, Tom and Jerry, ii., 5. Hang cards! bring me
a bobstick of rum slim.
1836. M. Scott, Cruise of the Midge, p. 169. ‘You be hanged,
Felix,’ quoth his ally, with a most quizzical grin.
1863. Ch. Reade, Hard Cash, ii., 218. Hang the grub; it turns my
stomach.
1883. R. L. Stevenson, Treasure Island, p. 161. You can go hang!
1889. Sporting Times, 6 July. Hebrew Scholar: Rub up your Hebrew.
Or go and hang yourself.
1890. Grant Allen, Tents of Shem, ch. xvii. Hang it all, if that’s
English law, you know, I don’t thing very much of the wisdom of our
ancestors.
1891. N. Gould, Double Event, p. 164. Hang it all.
1892. Milliken, ’Arry Ballads, p. 7. But ’ang it, I can’t stand the
style of the silent and the stare-me-down sort.
1892. F. Anstey, Voces Populi, ‘On the Ice,’ p. 122. Stick by me,
old fellow, till I begin to feel my——Oh, hang it all!
To hang an arse, verb. phr. (old).—To hang back; to hesitate.
1598. Marston, Satyres, ‘Ad Rythmum.’ But if you hang an arse like
Tubered, When Chremes dragged him from his brothel bed.
1637. Massinger, Guardian, v, 5. Nay, no hanging an arse.
1639–61. Rump Songs, ii., 86. Nay, if it hang an arse; We’ll pluck
it from the stares, And roast it at hell for its grease.
1748. Smollett, Roderick Random, ch. lxv. My lads, I’m told you
hang an arse.
1780. Tomlinson, Slang Pastoral, 2. My arse hangs behind me as
heavy as lead.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.
To hang in, verb. phr. (common).—To get to work; to do one’s best; to
wire in (q.v.).
To hang in the bellropes, verb. phr. (common).—To defer marriage after
being ‘asked’ in church.
To hang on by one’s eyelashes, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To persist at
any cost, and in the teeth of any discouragement.
To hang on by the splash-board, verb. phr. (common).—To ‘catch’ a tram,
omnibus, etc., when it is on the move; hence to succeed by the ‘skin of
one’s teeth.’ Fr., arcpincer l’omnibus.
To hang around (or about), verb. phr. (American).—To loiter; to loaf;
to haunt.
To hang out, verb (common).—To live; to reside. Also (subs.), a
residence; a lodging; and (American university) a feast; an
entertainment.
1811. Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v. Hang out. The traps scavey where
we hang out; the officers know where we live.
1836. Dickens, Pickwick, ch. xxx. ‘I say, old boy, where do you
hang out?’ Mr. Pickwick replied that he was at present suspended at
the George and Vulture.
1852. Bristed, Five Years in an English University, p. 80. The
fourth of July I celebrated by a hang-out.
1871. City Press, 21 Jan. ‘Curiosities of Street Literature.’ He
hangs out in Monmouth-court.
1892. Milliken, ’Arry Ballads, p. 14. I should like to go in for
blue blood, and ’ang out near the clubs and the parks.
To hang out a shingle, verb. phr. (American).—To start or carry on
business.
1871. Public Opinion, Dec. Tom Stowell hung out his shingle as a
lawyer at the Tombs, afterwards at Essex-market, and eventually in
Brooklyn.
To hang one’s latchpan, verb. phr. (common).—To be dejected; to pout.
Fr., faire son aquilin.
To hang it out, verb. phr. (common).—To skulk; to mike (q.v.).
To hang up, verb. phr. (common).—1. To give credit; to score (or chalk)
up: said of a reckoning. Also ‘to put on the slate’ or (American) on
the ice (q.v.).
1725. New Cant. Dict., s.v. Hang-it-up, speaking of the Reckoning
at a Bowsing-Ken, when the Rogues are obliged, for want of Money,
to run on Tick.
1785. Grose, Vulg. Tongue, s.v.