Quote:
Originally Posted by David L.  But in another dictionary there is the sentence "Please wait a minute, I'll go with you out of hand",
BURN THAT BOOK and much of your confusion will evaporate. The matter is in your hands.
NB 'out of hand' has two meanings:
If you doubt my advice, all I ask is that you do not dismiss it out of hand, but wait to see what others in this forum think about that book.
and in the phrase 'get out of hand'
The kids started having a pillow fight, but it soon got out of hand and i had to stop them. (the play became too boisterous and the children could have hurt themselves - the hitting each other and running around became so lively that their play was getting out of hand.) |
"The crisis obliged him to act out of hand".
What is the meaning here?
The crisis obliged him to act immediately,without delay?
The crisis obliged him to act without even thinking?
As a non-native speakers I don't have much feeling for English idiomatic expressions therefore I asked this question.