I'm a dab hand at (painting)

[kameier]

I've looked up the meaning of a dab hand (used for sb who is very good at sth) and I'm now wondering where this meaning comes from. How would you explain the meaning to a student who isn't simply satisfied with a definition

Any ideas?

Thanks so much for any plausible answers.
Karin

[brian17]

World Wide Words: Dab hand

don't think they know either...

[kameier]

They don't know either, but interesting link that I had come across earlier but had forgotten about.

Thanks anyway,
Karin

[Dr. Jamshid Ibrahim]

I've looked up the meaning of a dab hand (used for sb who is very good at sth) and I'm now wondering where this meaning comes from. How would you explain the meaning to a student who isn't simply satisfied with a definition

Any ideas?

Thanks so much for any plausible answers.
Karin

True the origin is still unknown but some etymologists think it is a corruption of adept or dapper. May be it was a verb and a dab hand is a derivative.