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.
