37 PHRASE You use on the other hand to introduce the second of two contrasting points, facts, or ways of looking at something. □ Well, all right, hospitals lose money. But, on the other hand, if people are healthy, think of it as saving lives.
38 PHRASE If a person or a situation gets out of hand , you are no longer able to control them. □ His drinking had got out of hand.
39 PHRASE If you dismiss or reject something out of hand , you do so immediately and do not consider believing or accepting it. □ I initially dismissed the idea out of hand.
40 PHRASE If you play into someone's hands , you do something which they want you to do and which places you in their power. [JOURNALISM ] □ He is playing into the hands of racists.
41 PHRASE If you show your hand , you show how much power you have and the way you intend to act. □ He has grown more serious about running for president, although he refuses to show his hand.
42 PHRASE If you take something or someone in hand , you take control or responsibility over them, especially in order to improve them. □ I hope that Parliament will soon take the NHS in hand.
43 PHRASE If you say that your hands are tied , you mean that something is preventing you from acting in the way that you want to. □ Politicians are always saying that they want to help us but their hands are tied.
44 PHRASE If you have something to hand or near to hand , you have it with you or near you, ready to use when needed. □ You may want to keep this brochure safe, so you have it to hand whenever you may need it.
45 PHRASE If you try your hand at an activity, you attempt to do it, usually for the first time. □ [+ at ] After he left school, he tried his hand at a variety of jobs.
46 PHRASE If you turn your hand to something such as a practical activity, you learn about it and do it for the first time. □ …a person who can turn his hand to anything.
47 PHRASE If you wash your hands of someone or something, you refuse to be involved with them any more or to take responsibility for them. □ He seems to have washed his hands of the job.
48 PHRASE If you win hands down , you win very easily.
49 → see also hand-to-mouth
50 with one's bare hands → see bare
51 to overplay one's hand → see overplay
52 to shake someone's hand → see shake
53 to shake hands → see shake
➋ hand ◆◆◇ /hæ nd/ (hands , handing , handed )
1 VERB If you hand something to someone, you pass it to them. □ [V n n] He handed me a little rectangle of white paper. □ [V n + to ] He took a thick envelope from an inside pocket and handed it to me.
2 PHRASE You say things such as ' You have to hand it to her ' or ' You've got to hand it to them ' when you admire someone for their skills or achievements and you think they deserve a lot of praise. [INFORMAL , APPROVAL ] □ You've got to hand it to Melissa, she certainly gets around.
▸ hand around in BRIT, also use hand round PHRASAL VERB If you hand around or hand round something such as food, you pass it from one person to another in a group. □ [V P n] John handed round the plate of sandwiches. □ [V n P ] Dean produced another bottle and handed it round.
▸ hand back PHRASAL VERB If you hand back something that you have borrowed or taken from someone, you return it to them. □ [V P n] The management handed back his few possessions. □ [V n P ] He took a saxophone from the Salvation Army but was caught and had to hand it back. □ [V n P + to ] He handed the book back to her. □ [V n P n] He unlocked her door and handed her back the key. [Also V P n + to ]
▸ hand down
1 PHRASAL VERB If you hand down something such as knowledge, a possession, or a skill, you give or leave it to people who belong to a younger generation. □ [V P n] The idea of handing down his knowledge from generation to generation is important to McLean. [Also V n P ]
2 PHRASAL VERB When a particular decision is handed down by someone in authority, it is given by them. [JOURNALISM ] □ [be V -ed P ] Tougher sentences are being handed down these days. □ [V P n] She is expected soon to hand down a ruling. [Also V n P ]
▸ hand in
1 PHRASAL VERB If you hand in something such as homework or something that you have found, you give it to a teacher, police officer, or other person in authority. □ [V P n] I'm supposed to have handed in a first draft of my dissertation. □ [V n P ] My advice to anyone who finds anything on a bus is to hand it in to the police.
2 PHRASAL VERB If you hand in your notice or resignation, you tell your employer, in speech or in writing, that you no longer wish to work for them. □ [V n P ] I handed my notice in on Saturday. □ [V P n] All eighty opposition members of parliament have handed in their resignation.
▸ hand on PHRASAL VERB If you hand something on , you give it or transfer it to another person, often someone who replaces you. □ [V P n] The government is criticised for not immediately handing on information about missing funds. □ [be V -ed P + to ] His chauffeur-driven car and company mobile phone will be handed on to his successor. [Also V P n to n]