back of one's hand

Idioms  

1. Rejection or contempt, as in Unimpressed with him, she gave the back of her hand to his suggestion. This phrase is usually the object of a verb such as give or show. [Second half of 1700s] Back of the hand similarly means “an insult” in the term back-handed compliment (see under left-handed compliment) but has a quite different meaning in know like the back of one's hand (see under know like a book).

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Example Sentences

They require foreign hand movements, such as reaching out to pinch digital objects in the air and tapping the front and back of one’s hand to adjust the volume or launch a menu.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 17, 2024

The American setting is as familiar as the back of one’s hand.

From New York Times • Oct. 21, 2021

It’s a little hard to compliment Jay-Z’s 4:44 without tipping the back of one’s hand.

From Slate • Jul. 1, 2017

Her extremities were quite cold, and her breath felt cold to the back of one's hand.

From Zoonomia, Vol. I Or, the Laws of Organic Life by Darwin, Erasmus