Idioms with Hand: Idioms are small sentences or excerpts from longer ones, which have been taken to be used metaphorically, or in simpler words, to denote something other than its literal meaning. The subject of most idioms has been derived from everyday life, be it some animal around us or a body part or an object.
The symbolism of the hand is well-endowed and diverse. Hand phrases and idioms are used in the expression of certain abstract concepts.
Hence idioms can be categorized as per their subject. To make sentences using our body parts, head idioms, foot idioms, helping hand- idioms, finger idioms, so on and so forth are used.
Enrich your Vocabulary by practicing the English Idioms that are commonly used in everyday conversations and understand their actual meaning.
Here in this specific article, we will discuss some idioms, the subject of which is an important part of our body, the hand. A thorough study and understanding of hand phrases and idioms give us an idea of cross-cultural similarities and differences in how the hand has been conceptualized.
Names of Hand Idioms
List of Hand Idioms
- Play into someone’s hands
- In safe hands
- Live from hand to mouth
- Take the law into your own hands
- Get out of hand
- Force someone’s hand
- Hands full
- Hand (to someone) on a platter/plate
- Wash your hands of something
- Hand’s tied
- A show of hands
- On hand
- Hand in glove
- (All) Hands on deck
- Rap someone on the knuckles
- The left-hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing
- Knuckle down
- Like the back of one’s hand
- Have a free hand
- Get your hands dirty
- Iron hand/fist in a velvet glove
- first hand
- Change hands
- Second hand
- Put your hand in your pocket
- Turn your hand to something.
Meanings and examples of some commonly used hand idioms
Play into someone’s hands
Meaning: To shake somebody’s focus or confidence
Example: The overconfident players played right into their opponent’s hands
In safe hands
Meaning: Under someone’s care
Example: The future of the country is not in safe hands
Live from hand to mouth
Meaning: Not having enough resources to survive
Example: They had to live from hand to mouth to pay for their son’s school
Take the law into your own hands
Meaning: Do something to put a situation on the right track without waiting for the concerned authorities.
Example: On getting no response from the police, the father decided to take the law into his own hands to try to bring justice to his daughter
Get out of hand
Meaning: Slipping out of control
Example: The children were getting out of hands as they were growing up
Force someone’s hand
Meaning: Making it necessary for a person to do something
Example: She wanted to take an early leave, but the work pressure forced her hand
Hands full
Meaning: Someone who is extremely busy
Example: You will have your hands full as soon as you join this office
Hand (to someone) on a platter/plate
Meaning: Someone who is getting a particular thing without even working to earn it
Example: Our team’s defense had been horrifying yesterday; we handed a victory to the opponent team
Wash your hands of something
Meaning: Refusing to be involved or take responsibility for something
Example: The father washed his hands off his wife and daughter
Hand’s tied
Meaning: Unable to do something for a situation
Example: I desperately wanted to help her, but you can see my hands are tied
A show of hands
Meaning: People raising their hands to give a suggestion or support it
Example: After finishing the lecture, the teacher asked her students for a show of hands
On hand
Meaning: To own something
Example: He had the disputed land on hand
Hand in glove
Meaning: Someone who is closely connected
Example: He escaped the punishment as he was hand in glove with principal
(All) Hands on deck
Meaning: To work unitedly for achieving a goal
Example: The project was a success as everyone had their hands on the deck.
Rap someone on the knuckles
Meaning: Criticizing someone gently for doing something wrong
Example: The girl was rapped on the knuckles for eating in class
The left-hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing
Meaning: Lack of coordination
Example: The company was so mismanaged that the left hand didn’t know what the right hand was doing
Knuckle down
Meaning: Being dedicated to a task
Example: Being knuckle down towards idioms gave her a broader understanding of life.
Like the back of one’s hand
Meaning: Knowing someone or something very well.
Example: He knew the area like the back of his hand
Have a free hand
Meaning: Being independent with choices
Example: As she grew older, she felt the need to have a free hand
Get your hands dirty
Meaning: Practicing hard work
Example: You won’t learn anything properly until you get your hands dirty
Iron hand/fist in a velvet glove
Meaning: Someone who appears to be gentle but is forceful and severe in reality
Example: The gang leader has an iron hand in a velvet glove.
First hand
Meaning: directly self-learning or experience
Example: he knew first-hand what it was like to spend days with a very little amount of money; his father had always taught him to be very careful regarding money.
Change hands
Meaning: a particular thing which is bought by another different person or a group
Example: even after changing so many hands, the business company was still on the verge of bankruptcy.
Second hand
Meaning: a particular thing that is not from a source
Example: I was being advised several times not to buy that second-hand book
Put your hand in your pocket
Meaning: Someone who is asked to spend money or to lend it to a person
Example: Shyamal does not like to put his hands in his pockets; that is why we try to avoid him whenever we all go out.
Turn your hand to something
Example: someone starting a new thing,
Meaning: he can now turn on his hands on several job aspects as he is free nowadays.