hand over head, advb. phr. (a., n.)
Now rare or Obs.
1. adv. phr. Precipitately, hastily, rashly, recklessly, without deliberation; † indiscriminately.
| c 1440 Bone Flor. 475 Than they faght hand ovyr hedd. 1549 Latimer 7th Serm. bef. Edw. VI (Arb.) 185 So adict as to take hand ouer hed whatsoeuer they say. 1600 Holland Livy xxii. iii. 433 He would..do all in hast, hand over head, without discretion. 1650–3 tr. Hales' Dissert. de pace in Phenix (1708) II. 369 The ruder sort..shall hand-over-head follow the Authority of others. 1775 F. Burney Let. to Crisp 8 May in Early Diary, I don't urge you, hand over head, to have this man at all events. 1839 James Louis XIV, III. 240 A lavish guardian, who..spent the estate hand-over-head. |
2. attrib. or adj. (with --). a. Precipitate, rash, reckless; † indiscriminate.
| a 1693 Urquhart Rabelais iii. xxiii. 193 In a hand-over-head Confusion. a 1825 Forby Voy. E. Anglia, Hand-over-head, thoughtlessly extravagant. 1866 Le Fanu All in Dark II. xix. 156 They never think what they are doing, girls are so hand-over-head. |
b. Cricket. Designating a style of bowling (see overhand a. 2).
| 1899 A. Lang in Daily News 22 July 4/2 The modern hand-over-head style. |
† 3. Phr. to play at hand over head, to act precipitately or rashly; in quot. app. with allusion to climbing (cf. hand over hand). Obs.
| 1589 R. Harvey Pl. Perc. 2 Neuer will I..play at hand ouer head so high, but where I may feele sure footing. |