Idioms

all hands on deck

(also all hands to the pump)

1. (saying, humorous) everyone helps or must help, especially in a difficult situation总动员；全体出动
   • There are 30 people coming to dinner tonight, so it's all hands on deck.今天晚上有 30 人来吃饭，要全体动员了。

(close/near) at hand

1. close to you in time or distance（在时间或距离上）接近
   • Help was at hand.援助近在咫尺。
   • The property is ideally located with all local amenities close at hand.这处房地产的位置很理想，离当地的生活设施都近。

at the hands of somebody | at somebody’s hands

1. (formal) if you experience something at the hands of somebody, they are the cause of it某人导致；出自某人之手
   • They suffered years of repression at the hands of the old regime.他们遭受了旧政权多年的压迫。

be good with your hands

1. to show skill at making or doing things with your hands技术娴熟

bind/tie somebody hand and foot

1. to tie somebody’s hands and feet together so that they cannot move or escape捆绑住某人的手脚
2. to prevent somebody from doing what they want by creating rules, limits, etc.用条条框框限制某人

a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

1. (saying) it is better to keep something that you already have than to risk losing it by trying to get much more一鸟在手胜过双鸟在林（满足于现有的总比因过分追求而失去一切好）

bite the hand that feeds you

1. to harm somebody who has helped you or supported you伤害恩人；恩将仇报

by hand

1. by a person rather than a machine手工
   • The fabric was painted by hand.这个织品是手染的。
   • Delicate clothes should be washed by hand.易损衣物应该手洗。
   • We can apply the power of computational tools in solving mathematical problems that cannot be solved by hand.我们可以运用计算工具的力量来解决无法用手解决的数学问题。
2. if a letter is delivered by hand, it is delivered by the person who wrote it, or somebody who is sent by them, rather than by post（信件）亲手交付，由专人递送

cash in hand

1. (British English, informal) if you pay for goods and services cash in hand, you pay in cash, especially so that the person being paid can avoid paying tax on the amount现金支付（尤指受款人可避税）
   • a cash-in-hand payment of £2020英镑的现金付款
   Topics Moneyc2, Jobsc2

change hands

1. to pass to a different owner换主人；易主；转手
   • The house has changed hands several times.这房子已几易其主。

close at hand

1. near; in a place where somebody/something can be reached easily在附近；在触手可及的地方
   • There are good cafes and a restaurant close at hand.附近有几家挺不错的咖啡馆和一家餐馆。

the dead hand of something

1. an influence that controls or limits something（控制或阻碍事物发展的）影响
   • We need to free business from the dead hand of bureaucracy.我们必须摆脱官僚主义对工作的严重影响。

the devil makes work for idle hands

1. (saying) people who do not have enough to do often start to do wrong人闲生是非
   • She blamed the crimes on the local jobless teenagers. ‘The devil makes work for idle hands,’ she would say.她认为那些违法活动是当地的无业青少年所为，总是说：“人一闲，惹麻烦。”

eat out of your/somebody’s hand

1. to trust somebody and be willing to do what they say甘愿听命于某人；顺从某人
   • She'll have them eating out of her hand in no time.她很快就会让他们俯首帖耳的。

fall into somebody’s hands/the hands of somebody

1. (formal) to become controlled by somebody受制于某人；被某人控制
   • The town fell into enemy hands.那个小镇落入敌人手里了。
   • We don't want this document falling into the wrong hands.我们不希望这份文件落入不当的人手中。
   • After the war, the hotel fell into the hands of an American consortium.战后，这家酒店落入了一个美国财团的手中。

a firm hand

1. strong control or discipline牢固控制；严格纪律；铁腕
   • Those children need a firm hand to make them behave.那些孩子得严加管教。

(at) first hand

1. by experiencing, seeing, etc. something yourself rather than being told about it by somebody else第一手；亲自
   • The President visited the area to see the devastation at first hand.总统亲临该地区视察受损情况。

fold your hands

1. to bring or hold your hands together十指交叉合拢交叠
   • She kept her hands folded in her lap.她双手合拢，放在腿上。

force somebody’s hand

1. to make somebody do something that they do not want to do or make them do it sooner than they had intended迫使某人做某事（或提前行动）
   • They decided to strike to force the management’s hand.他们决定罢工以迫使管理层就范。

gain, get, have, etc. the upper hand

1. to get an advantage over somebody so that you are in control of a particular situation占上风；处于有利地位；有优势；有控制权

get your hands dirty

1. to do physical work做体力工作；体力劳动
   • He's not frightened of getting his hands dirty.他不怕体力劳动。

get, have, etc. a free hand

1. to get, have, etc. the opportunity to do what you want to do and to make your own decisions可以全权处理；有自主权
   • I was given a free hand in designing the syllabus.我获准全权制订教学大纲。

give somebody/get a big hand

1. to show your approval of somebody by clapping your hands; to be applauded in this way给某人／受到鼓掌喝彩
   • Ladies and gentlemen, let’s give a big hand to our special guests tonight.女士们、先生们，让我们以热烈的掌声欢迎今晚的特邀嘉宾。

give/lend a helping hand

1. to help somebody帮助；伸出援助之手

go cap in hand (to somebody) (especially British English)

(North American English usually go hat in hand)

1. to ask somebody for something, especially money, in a very polite way that makes you seem less important谦卑地要，恭敬地讨（尤指钱）
   • There’s no way he’ll go cap in hand to his brother.他不可能对他的兄弟卑躬屈膝。

somebody’s hand (in marriage)

1. (old-fashioned) permission to marry somebody, especially a woman答应求婚（尤指女方）
   • He asked the general for his daughter's hand in marriage.他请求将军把女儿许配给他。

hand in glove (with somebody)

1. working closely with somebody, especially in a secret and/or illegal way同某人密切合作（尤指勾结）

hand in hand

1. if two people are hand in hand, they are holding each other’s hand手拉手
   • They walked through the park hand in hand.他们手拉手穿过公园。
2. if two things go hand in hand, they are closely connected and one thing causes the other密切关联；相连带
   • Poverty and poor health often go hand in hand.贫困和健康不良常有连带关系。

hands down

1. (informal) easily and without any doubt容易地；易如反掌地；毋庸置疑地
   • They won hands down.他们轻松取胜。
   • It is hands down the best movie this year.这无疑是今年最好的电影。
   see also hands-down

(get/take/keep your) hands off (something/somebody)

1. (informal) used to tell somebody not to touch something/somebody（命令）别动某物／某人
   • Get your hands off my wife!不许碰我妻子！
   • Hey, hands off! That's my drink!嘿，别动！那是我的饮料！
   • She warned her brother to keep his hands off her bag.她警告她的兄弟不许碰她的包。

hands up! (informal)

1. used to tell a group of people to raise one hand in the air if they know the answer to a question, etc.举手（答问）
   • Hands up all those who want to go swimming.想去游泳的人举手。
2. used by somebody who is threatening people with a gun to tell them to raise both hands in the air举手（投降）

have somebody’s blood on your hands

1. to be responsible for somebody’s death对某人的死亡罪责难逃
   • a dictator with the blood of thousands on his hands手上沾满千万人鲜血的独裁者

have your hands full

1. to be very busy or too busy to do something else忙得不可开交；应接不暇
   • She certainly has her hands full with four kids in the house.家里养着四个孩子，她当然忙得团团转。

have your hands tied

1. to be unable to do what you want to do because of rules, promises, etc.受到制约
   • I really wish I could help but my hands are tied.我的确想帮忙，但却多有不便。
   Topics Permission and obligationc2

have somebody in the palm of your hand

1. to have complete control or influence over somebody完全控制某人；把某人攥在手心里
   • Even before he plays a note, he has the audience in the palm of his hand.甚至在他演奏一个音符之前，他就已经把听众捧在手心里了。

have time on your hands | have time to kill

1. (informal) to have nothing to do or not be busy无所事事；没事可干；闲着

have/hold, etc. the whip hand (over somebody/something)

1. to be in a position where you have power or control over somebody/something执掌大权；执鞭在手
   • She had the whip hand and it was useless to resist.她握着鞭子，反抗是没有用的。

heavy hand

1. a way of doing something or of treating people that is much stronger and less sensitive than it needs to be严厉手段；粗暴方式；暴虐方式
   • the heavy hand of management粗暴的管理方式

hold somebody’s hand

1. to give somebody support in a difficult situation（困难时）给某人支持；拉某人一把
   • Do you want me to come along and hold your hand?你想让我过去帮你一把吗？

hold/put your hands up (to something)

1. to admit that you have made a mistake or are responsible for something bad承认犯错；承认对坏事负有责任
   • I have to hold my hands up and admit that some of the problems have been all my own fault.我必须承认有些问题完全是我自己的错。
   • The solicitor confirmed that his clients were holding their hands up to the offences.这名律师证实，他的委托人对这些罪行不闻不问。

in somebody’s capable, safe, etc. hands

1. being taken care of or dealt with by somebody that you think you can rely on由可信任的人负责（或处理等）
   • Can I leave these queries in your capable hands?我能否请你这个能手来解答这些疑问？
   • He retired feeling confident that his company was in safe hands.他退休时确信自己的公司已托付给了可靠的人。

in hand

1. if you have time or money in hand, it is left and available to be used在手头；可供使用
   • We managed to redecorate the house and still have some savings in hand.我们设法重新装修了房子，手头还有一些存款。
   • She completed the first part of the exam with over an hour in hand.她在一个多小时内完成了考试的第一部分。
2. if you have a particular situation in hand, you are in control of it在掌握中；在控制中
   • Don’t worry about the travel arrangements—everything is in hand.别担心旅行安排 ── 一切都已经安排妥当。
3. the job, question, etc. in hand is the one that you are dealing with正在处理中
   • Please confine your comments to the topic in hand.请把你的评论限制在手头的话题上。
4. if somebody works a week, month, etc. in hand, they are paid for the work a week, etc. after they have completed it（按星期、月等）领取工资

in the hands of somebody | in somebody’s hands

1. being taken care of or controlled by somebody受某人照料；受某人控制
   • The matter is now in the hands of my lawyer.这件事现在正由我的律师处理。
   • At that time, the castle was in enemy hands.那时城堡在敌人手中。

in safe hands | in the safe hands of somebody

1. being taken care of well by somebody在可靠的人手里；受到妥善照管
   • I've left the kids in safe hands—with my parents.我把孩子托付给了靠得住的人，在我父母那儿。
   • Their problem was in the safe hands of the experts.他们的问题交给行家处理了。

an iron fist/hand (in a velvet glove)

1. if you use the words an iron fist/hand when describing the way that somebody behaves, you mean that they treat people severely. This treatment may be hidden behind a kind appearance (the velvet glove).（温和背后的）铁拳
   • They promised that the army would strike with an iron fist at any resistance.他们承诺军队将对任何抵抗采取铁腕手段。
   • The iron hand in the velvet glove approach seems to work best with this age group.天鹅绒手套方法中的铁手似乎最适合这个年龄组。

I’ve only got one pair of hands

1. (informal) used to say that you are too busy to do anything else我只有一双手

join hands (with somebody)

1. if two people join hands, they hold each other’s hands（与某人）拉起手，挽手
2. to work together in doing something携手合作；联合；合伙
   • Education has been reluctant to join hands with business.教育界一向不肯与商界联手。

keep your hand in

1. to occasionally do something that you used to do a lot so that you do not lose your skill at it偶尔操练某事以保持熟练
   • She retired last year but still teaches the odd class to keep her hand in.她去年退休了，但偶尔还上课，以免技巧生疏。

know somebody/something inside out | know somebody/something like the back of your hand

1. (informal) to be very familiar with somebody/something（对…）极为熟悉，了如指掌
   • This is where I grew up. I know this area like the back of my hand.我在这儿长大的，我对这地方再熟悉不过了。

lay/get your hands on somebody

1. to catch somebody that you are annoyed with捉住使你不快的人
   • Wait till I get my hands on him!等我抓住他再说！

lay/get your hands on something

1. to find or get something找到／得到某物
   • I know their address is here somewhere, but I can't lay my hands on it right now.我知道他们的地址就放在这块儿，但我一时找不到。
   • I desperately need to get my hands on some money by Monday.我迫切需要在星期一之前拿到一些钱。

live (from) hand to mouth

1. to spend all the money you earn on basic needs such as food without being able to save any money仅够糊口度日 see also hand-to-mouth

make/lose money hand over fist

1. to make/lose money very fast and in large quantities赚大钱；破大财

many hands make light work

1. (saying) used to say that a job is made easier if a lot of people help人多好办事；众人拾柴火焰高

not do a hand’s turn

1. (old-fashioned) to do no work什么活也不干
   • She hasn't done a hand's turn all week.她闲了整整一星期。

not lift/raise a finger/hand (to do something)

1. (informal) to do nothing to help somebody一点忙也不帮；油瓶倒了都不扶
   • The children never lift a finger to help around the house.孩子们从不帮着做家务。

offer your hand

1. (formal) to hold out your hand for somebody to shake伸出手（以便同别人握手）

off your hands

1. no longer your responsibility不再由某人负责

on either/every hand

1. (literary) on both/all sides; in both/all directions在双方面／各个方面；在两个／各个方向
   • Mist curled from the water on either hand.雾从两边的水中袅袅升起。

on hand

1. available, especially to help现有（尤指帮助）
   • The emergency services were on hand with medical advice.随时都有急诊服务，并提供医疗咨询。

on your hands

1. if you have somebody/something on your hands, you are responsible for or have to deal with them/it由某人负责（某人、某事）
   • Let me take care of the invitations—you've enough on your hands with the caterers.让我来负责发邀请吧，你负责洽办酒席就够忙了。
   • They’ll have a fight on their hands if they want to close down the school.如果他们想关闭学校，他们会大打出手的。

(on the one hand…) on the other (hand)…

 

1. used to introduce different points of view, ideas, etc., especially when they are opposites（引出不同的，尤指对立的观点、思想等）一方面…，另一方面…
   • On the one hand they'd love to have kids, but on the other, they don't want to give up their freedom.一方面，他们想要孩子，但另一方面，他们又不想放弃自由自在的生活。
   Language Bank contrastcontrastHighlighting differences突出差异／不同

   • • This survey highlights a number of differences in the way that teenage boys and girls in the UK spend their free time.这项民意测验凸显出英国十几岁的男孩和女孩在打发闲暇时间上的诸多不同。
   • • One of the main differences between the girls and the boys who took part in the research was the way in which they use the internet.参与了这项研究的女生和男生之间的主要差异之一在于他们使用互联网的方式。
   • • Unlike the girls, who use the internet mainly to keep in touch with friends, the boys questioned in this survey tend to use the internet for playing computer games.女生使用互联网主要是和朋友联系，这一点和男生不同，参与调查的男生往往是使用互联网来玩电脑游戏。
   • • The girls differ from the boys in that they tend to spend more time keeping in touch with friends on the phone or on social networking websites.女孩和男孩的不同之处在于，她们倾向于花更多的时间通过电话或社交网站与朋友保持联系。
   • • Compared to the boys, the girls spend much more time chatting to friends on the phone.与男孩相比，女孩花更多的时间在电话上和朋友聊天。
   • • On average the girls spend four hours a week chatting to friends on the phone. In contrast, very few of the boys spend more than five minutes a day talking to their friends in this way.女生平均每周花四个小时与朋友电话聊天。相比之下，很少有男生每天以这种方式与朋友聊天五分钟以上。
   • • The boys prefer competitive sports and computer games, whereas/while the girls seem to enjoy more cooperative activities, such as shopping with friends.男生更喜欢竞技性体育运动和电脑游戏，而女生似乎更喜欢合作性活动，比如与朋友一起购物。
   • • When the girls go shopping, they mainly buy clothes and cosmetics. The boys, on the other hand, tend to purchase computer games or gadgets.女生购物时主要买衣服和化妆品，而男生往往会买电脑游戏或小器具。

out of hand

1. difficult or impossible to control难以（或无法）控制
   • Unemployment is getting out of hand.失业问题越来越难以控制。
2. if you reject, etc. something out of hand, you do so immediately without thinking about it fully or listening to other people’s arguments不假思索（拒绝等）
   • All our suggestions were dismissed out of hand.我们的建议均遭到了草率的拒绝。
   Topics Opinion and argumentc2

out of your hands

1. no longer your responsibility不再由某人负责
   • I'm afraid the matter is now out of my hands.恐怕这件事现已不归我管。

overplay your hand

1. to fail to achieve success by judging your position to be stronger than it really is因不自量力而毁掉胜机；高估自己的地位；错估形势Topics Difficulty and failurec2

a pair of hands

1. (informal) a person who can do, or is doing, a job一个能做事的人；人手；正在工作的人
   • We need an extra pair of hands if we're going to finish on time.要想按时完成，我们就要再增加一个人。

play into somebody’s hands

1. to do exactly what an enemy, opponent, etc. wants so that they gain the advantage in a particular situation干敌人（或对手等）所希望的事；做有利于敌人（或对手等）的事；授人以可乘之机
   • If we get the police involved, we'll be playing right into the protesters' hands.如果出动警察，那将正中抗议者的下怀。

put your hand in your pocket

1. (British English) to spend money or give it to somebody掏腰包；出钱；付款
   • I've heard he doesn't like putting his hand in his pocket.我听说他手很紧。

(like) putty in somebody’s hands

1. easily controlled or influenced by another person（像）某人手中的面团；任某人摆布；易受某人的影响
   • She'll persuade him. He's like putty in her hands.她会说服他的。他就像她手里的面团一样。

raise a/your hand against/to somebody

1. to hit or threaten to hit somebody打人；威胁要打人

a safe pair of hands

1. (especially British English) a person that you can trust to do a job well靠得住的办事人
   • Colleagues regard him as a safe pair of hands.同事认为他办事可靠。

(at) second, third, etc. hand

1. by being told about something by somebody else who has seen it or heard about it, not by experiencing, seeing, etc. it yourself经过二手三手地；间接地；非亲身经历
   • I'm fed up of hearing about these decisions third hand!得从别人那里听说这些决定，我受够了！

show your hand/cards

(North American English also tip your hand)

1. to make your plans or intentions known摊牌；让对手摸着底细；公开自己的意图

a show of hands

1. a way of voting for or against something in which people raise their hands to vote举手表决
   • The vote was passed by a show of hands.投票以举手方式通过。
   • Let’s have a show of hands. Who’s in favour of the proposal?让我们举手表决。谁赞成这个提议？

stay your hand

1. (old-fashioned or literary) to stop yourself from doing something; to prevent you from doing something住手；不做（某事）
   • It was prudence, not logic, that stayed his hand.留在他手里的是谨慎，而不是逻辑。

take your courage in both hands

1. to make yourself do something that you are afraid of鼓起勇气（做自己害怕做的事）；敢作敢为
   • Taking her courage in both hands, she opened the door and walked in.她壮着胆打开门，走了进去。

take somebody in hand

1. to deal with somebody in a strict way in order to improve their behaviour管教某人

take something into your own hands

1. to deal with a particular situation yourself because you are not happy with the way that others are dealing with it亲自处理某事

take the law into your own hands

1. to do something illegal in order to punish somebody for doing something wrong, instead of letting the police deal with them不通过法律擅自处理
   • After a series of burglaries in the area, the police are worried that residents might take the law into their own hands.该地区发生了一系列入室盗窃案后，警方担心居民可能会自行执法。
   • When police failed to arrest the suspect, local people took the law into their own hands and beat him up.警察没有逮捕嫌疑犯，当地人便擅自执法，把他痛打一顿。

take your life in your hands

1. to risk being killed冒生命危险；豁出性命；把脑袋别在裤腰带上
   • You take your life in your hands just crossing the road here.你在这里过马路简直是冒险玩命。

throw your hand in

1. (informal) to stop doing something or taking part in something, especially because you are not successful（尤指不成功而）放弃，退出Topics Difficulty and failurec2

throw up your hands

1. to raise both hands in the air to show that you are feeling annoyed or upset about something帮助；伸出援助之手
   • We threw up our hands in despair at the scale of the problem.我们对这个问题的规模感到绝望。

to hand

1. that you can reach or get easily在手边；随时可得到
   • I'm afraid I don't have the latest figures to hand.恐怕我手头没有最新的数据。
   • Keep a pen and paper to hand for details of this week’s competition.为本周比赛的细节准备好笔和纸。

try your hand (at something)

1. to do something such as an activity or a sport for the first time初试身手

turn your hand to something

1. to start doing something or be able to do something, especially when you do it well（尤指成功、顺利地）着手做，能够做
   • Jim can turn his hand to most jobs around the house.吉姆能担当起家里的大部分杂活。

wait on somebody hand and foot

1. (disapproving) to take care of somebody’s needs so well that they do not have to do anything for themselves过分照顾；让…饭来张口，衣来伸手
   • He seems to expect me to wait on him hand and foot.他似乎希望我全心全意地侍候他。

wash your hands of somebody/something

1. to refuse to be responsible for or involved with somebody/something拒绝对…负责；脱离关系；洗手不干
   • When her son was arrested again she washed her hands of him.她的儿子再次被捕，她就与他脱离了关系。
   • I’ve washed my hands of the whole sordid business.我已经彻底洗手不干那种肮脏的勾当了。

win (something) hands down

1. (informal) to win something very easily轻易取得；唾手可得

wring somebody’s hand

1. to press somebody’s hand very hard when you shake hands（握手时）攥紧…的手

wring your hands

1. to hold your hands together, and twist and press them together in a way that shows you are anxious or upset, especially when you cannot change the situation（尤指出于焦急或烦恼）扭绞双手 see also hand-wringing

Idioms

hand something to somebody on a plate

1. (informal) to give something to somebody without that person making any effort把某事物拱手送给某人
   • Nobody's going to hand you success on a plate.没有人会把胜利白白地送给你的。

have (got) to hand it to somebody

1. (informal) used to say that somebody deserves praise for something（表示某人值得称赞）
   • You've got to hand it to her—she's a great cook.你没法不佩服她，她的厨艺的确了不起。