1841. Lever, Charles O'Malley, ch. lxviii. Pleasant and cheerful enough, when they're handicapping the coat off your back, and your new tilbury for a spavined pony and a cotton umbrella; but regular devils if you come to cross them the least in life.
2. To make even or level; to equalise between.
3. To embarrass, burden, hinder, or impede in any way.
1883. Grenville-Murray, People I Have Met, 123. He was not handicapped by a title, so that the beautiful ethics of hereditary legislation had no claim on his attention.
Handie-Dandie, subs. phr. (old).—Copulation.
1490-1554. David Lyndsay, Kitty's Confessioun [Laing], i., 136. Ane plack I will gar Sandie, Gie the agane with Handie-Dandie.
Handle, subs. (common).—1. The
nose. For synonyms, see Conk.
1811. Lexicon Balatronicum. The cove flashes a rare handle to his physog; the fellow has a large nose.
1887. Modern Society, 27 Aug., 864. A restless, intriguing, and busy old lady, with an immense handle to her face.
2. (colloquial).—A title. Fr., une queue, as Monsieur Sans-*queue = Mr. Nobody.
1855. Thackeray Newcomes, xxiii. She . . . entertained us with stories of colonial governors and their ladies, mentioning no persons but those who had handles to their names, as the phrase is.
1857. Ducange Anglicus, Vulg. Tongue. Handle, n. Title. Oh, you want a handle to your name.
1871. London Figaro, 17 June, 'The plaint of a poor Parson.' Neither he nor his clerical neighbours—unless they belong to county families, or have handles to their names—have ever been invited by the Dean to partake of the hospitalities of the Deanery.
1886. J. S. Winter, Army Society, ch. ii. That's the worst of having a handle to one's name.
1891. Licensed Vict. Gaz., 16 Jan. Here's the Honourable Tom Jones, and Lord Smith, and Viscount Brown—that's them, with the handles knocked off their names.
1892. Henley and Stevenson, Deacon Brodie, i., 2. He was aye ettling after a bit handle to his name.
3. (colloquial).—Occasion; opportunity; means.
1753-77. Melmoth, Cicero, bk. ii., let. 17 (note 5). The defence of Vatinius gave a plausible handle for some censure upon Cicero.
Verb (cardsharpers').—1. To conceal cards in the palm of the hand, or up the sleeves; to palm (q.v.).
2. (colloquial).—To use; to make use of; to manage.
1606. Chapman, Gentleman Usher, iii., 5. Now let the sport begin: I think my love will handle him as well as I have done.
1811. Lexicon Balatronicum, s.v. Handle. To know how to handle one's fists; to be skilful in the art of boxing.
1836. Dickens, Pickwick, ii., 7. Smart chap that cabman—handled his fives well.
1892. Henley and Stevenson, Admiral Guinea, ii., 5. Commander, you handled him like a babby, kept the weather gauge, and hulled him every shot.
To handle the ribbons, verb. phr. (common).—To drive.
1857. Moncrieff, Bashful Man, ii. 4. Shouldn't have any objection in life, squire, to let you handle the ribands for a stage or two, but four-in-hand, you know, requires.
1872. Evening Standard, 10 Aug. The Princess of Wales is expected, and her Royal Highness has several times during the week driven through the town in an open phaeton, drawn by four beautiful ponies, and she appears to handle the ribbons in a very skilful manner.
1891. N. Gould, Double Event, p. 198. It was agreed Marston should handle the ribbons.
