A safe pair of hands

Meaning

A reliable person, who can be trusted not to fail in a a task.

Examples

When Margaret Thatcher passed the Prime Ministership to John Major she thought he would be a safe pair of hands.

Where did it originate?

The United Kingdom. An allusion to a cricket fielder who had a reputation for reliably making catches.

Where is it used?

Worldwide, but more in the UK than elsewhere.

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About the Author

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

A safe pair of hands