Chapter Hands to Hand over Hand of H by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

French, "Se lever les mains d'une chose" or "Je m'en lave les mains." I will have nothing to do with it; I will abandon it entirely. The allusion is to Pilate's washing his hands at the trial of Jesus.

"When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it." - Matt. xxvii. 24.

Hand-book Spelman says that King Alfred used to carry in his bosom memorandum leaves, in which he made observations, and took so much pleasure therein that he called it his hand- book, because it was always in his hand.

Hand-gallop A slow and easy gallop, in which the horse is kept well in hand.

Hand Paper A particular sort of paper well known in the Record Office, and so called from its water- mark, which goes back to the fifteenth century.

Hand-post (A). A direction-post to direct travellers the way to different places.

Hand Round (To). To pass from one person to another in a regular series.

Hand and Glove (They are). Inseparable companions, of like tastes and like affections. They fit each other like hand and glove.

Hand and Seal When writing was limited to a few clerks, documents were authenticated by the impression of the hand dipped in ink, and then the seal was duly appended. As dipping the hand in ink was dirty, the impression of the thumb was substituted. We are informed that "scores of old English and French deeds still exist in which such `signatures' appear." Subsequently the name was written, and this writing was called "the hand."

"Hubert: Here is your hand and seal for what I did.
King John: Oh, when the last account `twixt heaven and earth
Is to be made, then shall this hand and seal
Witness against us to damnation."
Shakespeare: King John, vi. 2.

Hand-in-Hand In a familiar or kindly manner, as when persons go hand-in-hand.

"Now we maun totter down, John,
But hand in hand we'll go."
John Anderson, my Jo.

Hand of Cards The whole deal of cards given to a single player. The cards which he holds in his hand.

"A saint in heaven would grieve to see such `hand'
Cut up by one who will not understand."
Crabbe: Borough.

Hand of Justice The allusion is to the sceptre or bâton anciently used by kings, which had an ivory hand at the top of it.

Hand over Hand To go or to come up hand over hand, is to travel with great rapidity, as climbing a rope or a ladder, or as one vessel overtakes another. Sailors in hauling a rope put one hand over the other alternately as fast as they can. In French, "Main sur main."

"Commandment fait aux matelots qul halent sur une manœvre pour qu'ils passent alternativement une main sur l'autre sans interruption, et pour que le travail se fasse plus promptement." - Royal Dictionnaire.