all handsn.
/ˌɔːl ˈhan(d)z/, U.S. /ˌɔl ˈhæn(d)z/, /ˌɑl ˈhæn(d)z/ With plural agreement.
1. Nautical. The full complement of sailors belonging to the crew of a ship. Cf. hand n. 14b.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > kind or sort > generality > [noun] > the generality > everyone > in a group
all hands1580
1580 H. Smith in R. Hakluyt Princ. Navigations (1589) ii. 470 With all hands she did lighten her sterne, and trimme her head.
1644 W. L. Med. for Malignancy 72 A storme arises at Sea, all hands goe to worke, nay all little enough, the Ship like to sinke.
1669 S. Sturmy Mariners Mag. i. 18 Come aft all hands.
1743 J. Bulkeley & J. Cummins Voy. to South-seas 115 All Hands haul'd, took a Turn round the Main-Mast, and went aft.
1751 R. Paltock Life Peter Wilkins I. viii. 70 We drew up the two Boats, and set all Hands at work to put the Ship under Way.
1820 W. Scoresby Acct. Arctic Regions I. 515 All hands on board perished.
1867 W. H. Smyth & E. Belcher Sailor's Word-bk. Dog-sleep, the uncomfortable fitful naps taken when all hands are kept up by stress.
1952 ‘C. S. Forester’ Lieutenant Hornblower iv. 59 All hands fall in abaft the mainmast!
1998 Christian Sci. Monitor (Nexis) 8 Jan. 2 All hands were rescued without injury by another vessel.
2. colloquial. In extended use: all the members of a party, esp. when collectively engaged in work; everyone. Cf. hand n. 14a.
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > kind or sort > generality > [noun] > the generality > everyone
allOE
to wifeOE
everya1250
young and olda1400
everybodyc1405
all hands1655
tout le monde1825
1655 S. Hartlib Reformed Virginian Silk-worm To Rdr. sig. A2v Then would all hands be set a-work, and every one would become instrumentall to serve himselfe and his Neighbours in Love.
1675 T. Duffett Mock-tempest i. i. 3 Turn out, turn out all hands to the Back door.
1702 G. Farquhar Inconstant iv. i. 42 Come Gentlemen, all hands to work.
1726 Four Years Voy. Capt. G. Roberts 263 Then all Hands went to fishing.
1860 C. Dickens Uncommerc. Traveller in All Year Round 10 Mar. 464/1 If all hands had been got together, they would not have more than half filled the room.
1901 ‘H. McHugh’ John Henry 95 We left the mob just as all hands were paddling off to the ice-cream trough.
2003 N.Y. Times Mag. 19 Jan. 25 He hired Hubie Brown.., when all hands agreed that Hubie was out of touch with the modern ballplayer.
Phrases
P1. all hands to the pump (also pumps).
a. An order to every member of a ship's crew to pump water from the ship in an emergency. Now chiefly historical.
ΚΠ
1683 R. Dixon Canidia v. x. 90 When Boatswain cries, All hands to the Pump, He sits still upon his rotten Rump.
1757 London Chron. 1 Feb. 114/2 Her Hold was half full of Water; which made her swim so deep, that the Captain called out as loud as he could bawl, ‘All Hands to the Pumps’.
1836 Metrop. Mag. May 85 She is half full of water:—all hands to the pumps.
1905 Manch. Guardian 27 July 12/1 It is a case of ‘all hands to the pump’, for this is no mere preliminary shower, but a downpour that means incessant work to keep their frail boats afloat.
2006 J. Hood Come Hell & High Water vi. 147 The order for all hands to the pump went out, and the passengers stood their turn, three at a time, pumping for all they were worth.
b. figurative. Used to indicate (the need for) intense or urgent activity or effort by all the members of a party, or by a large number of people, esp. in an emergency.
ΚΠ
1706 Rehearsal 2 Oct. (single sheet) This is All hands to the Pump! The Whigg-Cause about Government is Sinking!
1837 New Monthly Mag. Jan. 79 Country-dances are all the vogue..; and, like sailors in a storm, it's ‘all hands to the pumps’ with the shoemakers.
1920 Times 22 June 16/4 The House occupied most of its time to-day in discussing the Rent Restriction Bill, with which by midnight it had made excellent progress... To-night it was ‘all hands to the pumps’.
1969 A. Bennett Forty Years On i. 16 I've got to minister to one of my small charges who's been sick... I'll just assess the damage and be back in a jiff. All hands to the pumps!
2003 Press Gaz. 19 Dec. 6/1 It was all hands to the pump. The announcement came at one o'clock, so we cleared the front page, got the quotes and started over with the news pages.
P2. all hands on deck.
a. An order to every member of a ship's crew to report to the deck immediately, usually in an emergency.
ΚΠ
?1707 J. Welbe Answer Captain Dampier's Vindic. 7 The Captain call'd to the Boatswain from the Quarter-Deck, to call all Hands upon Deck.]
1793 P. Campbell Trav. Interior Parts N. Amer. 17 We were suddenly awakened by the voice of the mate, whose watch it was, singing out loud as he could, ‘All hands on deck.’ We sprang out of bed.
1857 Knickerbocker Apr. 402 He came forward again, and shouted down the forecastle: ‘Hallo, hallo, turn out there! all hands on deck! turn out, men! turn out!’
1939 Boys' Life Nov. 15/1 The Captain called out quick, terse orders: ‘All hands on deck! Muster the crew! Close all hatches, stand-by to abandon ship when ordered!’
2008 M. Abernethy Second Strike (2009) ii. 10 Mac's Bahasa was pretty basic but he knew enough to pick up that the navy guys were demanding all hands on deck.
b. figurative. Used to indicate (the need for) the immediate involvement or efforts of all the members of a party, or of a large number of people, esp. in an emergency.
ΚΠ
?1795 Kemmish's Ann. Harmonist 90 Now, because I am jigging it here ashore, You may think I go to sea no more,..Let us take one spell before we go, All hands on deck for a dance—Yo! Ho!
1854 Boston Daily Atlas 22 Nov. 2/4 Forney, it is said, will..devote his whole time to the editorial charge of the Union. 'Tis almost time the administration called all hands on deck.
1919 Hispania 2 40 The year ahead is rich with opportunity. All hands on deck! Labor there is in plenty.
1996 Caterer & Hotelkeeper 21 Nov. 64/1 Go home for Christmas and enjoy it... But when you come back after Boxing Day, it will be all hands on deck.
2003 K. Brichoux Coffee & Kung Fu ii. 19 It's an ‘all hands on deck’ kind of party. And it looks exactly like I expected a mandatory party to look.
P3. Originally U.S. all hands and the cook: every member of a ship's crew without exception; (also in extended use) all the members of a party, with no exception; a large number of people.
ΚΠ
1835 Blackbeard I. xvi. 196 She appeared to take no notice of us as we approached, and I believe that all hands and the cook were snoring in their hammocks.
1843 N.Y. Herald 15 Jan. 2/5 Our U.S. Senator elect gave a splendid blow out and ball at the American Hotel on New Year's eve, and he invited all hands and the cook.
1893 Pop. Sci. Monthly Aug. 543 With ‘all hands and the cook’ so incessantly occupied in the calm weather, all scientific observations were at a standstill.
1915 Alton (Illinois) Evening Tel. 17 Aug. 2/1 An abundance [of food] will be needed as ‘all hands and the cook’ for miles around that place quit work for picnic joys on that day.
1966 Times 19 May 15/3 When their ship encounters stormy weather all hands and the cook must turn to to prevent and to repair damage.
2001 S. Bevan Parting Years ii. 53 Ma built up quite a trade in ducks for Christmas and it was a case of all hands and the cook to pluck and dress them for sale.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2013; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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n.1580