Definitions
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- adverb idiomatic Quickly or in great
quantity , especially in reference to earningmoney .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adverb at a tremendous rate
Etymologies
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Examples
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reesetee commented on the word hand over fist
Quickly and continuously. May have nautical origins; the earliest known reference to the phrase refers to pulling on a rope but doesn't explicitly mention ships. In any event, the allusion is to the action of hauling on a rope. An earlier version was "hand over hand," which dates to the mid-18th century.
December 11, 2007