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. 1892. Milliken, ’Arry Ballads, p. 32. He ’andled the ribbings to rights. To fly off the handle. See Fly, to which add the following earlier quot. 1825. Neal, Brother Jonathan, bk. I., ch. iv. Most off the handle, some o’ the tribe, I guess. Hand-me-downs (or Hand-’em-downs), subs. (common).—Second-hand clothes. Hand-me-down-shop, or Never-too-late-to-mend-shop = a repairing tailors’. Fr., un decrochez-moi-ça. 1878. Notes and Queries, 5, s. ix., 6 Apr., p. 263. Hand-’em-down—A second-hand garment (Northamptonshire). 1888. New York World, 5 Mar. Russell Sage, it is said, walked into a Broadway clothing store the other day and tried on and purchased a twelve-dollar suit of hand-me-downs. 1889. Sporting Times, 29 June. Trousers which fit him nowhere in particular, and which all over proclaim themselves entitled to the epithet of hand-me-downs. English Synonyms.—Reach-me-downs; translations; wall-flowers. French Synonyms.—La musique (popular); la mise-bas (servants’: especially ‘perks’). Hand-out, subs. (American).—Food to a tramp at the door. 1887. Morley Roberts, The Western Avernus. Some of the boys said it was a regular hand-out, and that we looked like a crowd of old bummers. Handpiece, subs. (American).—A handkerchief. For synonyms, see Wipe.