VOA词汇掌故2024--Many Handy 'Hand' Expressions

And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.

Every day, we do countless¹ things with our hands. So, it's not surprising that we have many "hand" expressions that describe how we do something. These hand expressions could be called handy ... meaning they are useful.

When we do something with our bare hands, we do it on our own, usually with much effort. When we use this expression, we are expressing pride in something we have done.

For example, let's say I decided² to build my own gardening shed -- a small outdoor building for gardening supplies. It was hard work and took me days to finish. But at the end of the project, I could proudly say that I built it with my own bare hands.

Feeling proud and finishing a big project go hand in hand. They go together!

Firm hand = strict

Let's say you are asked to lead a project. You want it to be successful. You want it to be on time and on budget. So, you lead with a firm hand. If you lead with a firm hand, you are strict. You follow all the rules closely. You don't let jokes or laziness affect your team's progress. Teachers can teach with a firm hand. And parents can parent with a firm hand, too. Having a firm hand and being strict go hand in hand.

Heavy hand = oppressive

A firm hand is not the same as a heavy hand. If a person or organization has a heavy hand, they use a lot of force or power to control people and events. A heavy hand is often considered a bad thing. When you deal with a situation with a heavy hand, you could be seen as oppressive. Someone who is heavy-handed is severe or harsh when dealing³ with others or when dealing with a situation.

Sometimes we call this an iron hand or even an iron fist. A fist is a closed hand that is used for hitting.

High-handed = arrogant⁴ & condescending⁵

Now, what kind of person has a high hand? Someone who has a high hand is domineering. They like to be in control. They are bossy⁶.

Sometimes we use the adjective high-handed.

High-handed people do not consider the rights, concerns, thoughts, or feelings of others. They look down on people. In other words, they are arrogant and condescending.

Hand expressions can also describe our involvement in a situation. Let's look at a couple examples.

A friend of yours asks you to find a manager for her company. But you don't know anyone who fits the job description. So, you don't suggest anyone. You don't have a hand in the selection. If you have a hand in something, you have helped to make it happen.

Your friend was able to find someone for the job through another person - someone you know. Let's call him Bob. You know Bob, and you don't trust Bob. So, you warn your friend. But they don't take the warning seriously. In the end, Bob is a terrible choice. He steals a lot of money from your friend's company. Your friend is furious! And you feel bad.

Clean hands = innocent

But in this matter, your hands are clean. You did nothing wrong. In fact, you tried to warn your friend. We use this expression to state innocence⁷ in a bad situation.

Here's another example. Let's say you are babysitting some children. They want to make a cake. And they make a total mess in the kitchen. Flour, sugar, and broken eggs are everywhere. When their parents come home and see the mess, you can say you did not have a hand in it. The kids did it all. All you did was turn on the oven.

Maybe these kids do this every time you watch them. You are tired of it - even though they do make tasty cake. So, you throw your hands up! When you throw your hands up, you are tired of fighting something. It is a sign that you give up.

A good word that describes this feeling is exasperation⁸. People who are exasperated⁹ are tired of something, and they often throw their hands in the air.

Words in This Story

bare -adj. lacking clothing

pride -n. reasonable self-esteem : confidence and satisfaction in oneself

strict -adj. severe in discipline

oppressive -adj. cruel or harsh without just cause

harsh -adj. making many or difficult demands

domineering -adj. inclined to exercise arbitrary and overbearing control over others

arrogant -adj. showing an offensive attitude of superiority

condescending -adj. showing or characterized by a patronizing or superior attitude toward others

furious -adj. exhibiting anger

mess -n. a disordered, untidy, offensive, or unpleasant state or condition

exasperated -v. having or showing strong feelings of irritation or annoyance : exasperation -n

 

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1 countless   

adj.无数的，多得不计其数的

参考例句：

• In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
• I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

4 arrogant   

adj.傲慢的，自大的

参考例句：

• You've got to get rid of your arrogant ways.你这骄傲劲儿得好好改改。
• People are waking up that he is arrogant.人们开始认识到他很傲慢。

5 condescending   

adj.谦逊的,故意屈尊的

参考例句：

• He has a condescending attitude towards women. 他对女性总是居高临下。
• He tends to adopt a condescending manner when talking to young women. 和年轻女子说话时，他喜欢摆出一副高高在上的姿态。

6 bossy   

adj.爱发号施令的，作威作福的

参考例句：

• She turned me off with her bossy manner.她态度专橫很讨我嫌。
• She moved out because her mother-in-law is too bossy.她的婆婆爱指使人,所以她搬出去住了。

7 innocence   

n.无罪；天真；无害

参考例句：

• There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。
• The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。

8 exasperation   

n.愤慨

参考例句：

• He snorted with exasperation.他愤怒地哼了一声。
• She rolled her eyes in sheer exasperation.她气急败坏地转动着眼珠。

9 exasperated   

adj.恼怒的

参考例句：

• We were exasperated at his ill behaviour. 我们对他的恶劣行为感到非常恼怒。
• Constant interruption of his work exasperated him. 对他工作不断的干扰使他恼怒。