back of one's hand
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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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QUIZ YOURSELF ON "IS" VS. "ARE"
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IS and ARE are both forms of which verb?
Words nearby back of one's hand
back of, back of beyond, back of Bourke, back off, back office, back of one's hand, back of one's mind, back on one's feet, back order, back out, backpack
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
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