hired hand

hired hand

One who is hired specifically to work on or help with something. Although often associated with farm work, the phrase can be used more broadly. With a few more hired hands, I think we could get this job done by the end of the week. I need a hired hand to help with the cows.
See also: hand, hire
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

hired hand

Also, hired man or girl . A person engaged to assist with farm or domestic chores, as in We need extra hired hands during the harvest, or She was looking for a hired girl to do the laundry. This use of hired dates from the 1200s and referred to someone employed for wages as opposed to a slave or serf. The use of girl now may be offensive.
See also: hand, hire
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
See also:
  • hired man
  • hired girl
  • I've got work to do
  • be at work
  • blind man's holiday
  • go shares
  • it will never fly
  • It'll never fly
  • off
  • offed
References in periodicals archive
Besides Mama and Papa, our household grew to include eight children and usually a couple of hired hands who slept in the bunk house, ate meals with us and were treated as members of the family.
Well received in Europe and Great Britain, The Hired Hand lasted only two weeks on screens in the US before disappearing for thirty years.
Set in the early 1900s, it tells the story of Curly, who loves Aun t Eller's niece Laurey, but whose rival is the brooding hired hand Jud Fry .
NAOMI MATTHEW: 2.20 Brians Well, 2.55 Shantou Breeze, 3.30 Grey Missile (nb), 4.05 Themilanhorse, 4.40 Hired Hand, 5.10 Roc De Guye, 5.40 Al Amaan.
I'm just another hired hand from the labour agency.
But he was a hired hand doing a job involving no risks and needing no entrepreneurial skills.
During that time, Nils has been more used to playing packed arenas as the Boss's hired hand - but, in the more intimate surroundings of Birkenhead's Pacific Arts Centre, he delivered a stunning '-hour set.
Having teamed up successfully with Double Seven in the same colours at Sligo yesterday, Mark Walsh has another good opportunity on the Charles O'Brien-trained Hired Hand in the opener (2.35).
With X Factor he's not a hired hand. He's in control and can do things the way he wants them done."
As the teens fish and work together, George helps unravel the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Bennett and Esther's father and the possibility that Grandma's hired hand might be responsible.
Preljocaj is considerably more than a mere hired hand in this project.
Apparently Darren has left his Uncle Tormey's Tonawanda farm to work as a hired hand for the summer at Ruth's spread.
In a broad hint dropped by the local sheriff (pity William Prael in this strictly functional role), this love-starved but unstable young man may well be the homicidal hired hand known to be prowling this godforsaken farm country, robbing and murdering the ranch owners who give him a job.
In a narrative about finding hope and dignity in the small cracks, Danny Glover and John Malkovich are excellent as a hired hand and blind boarder who help Field to find a fresh footing and a new, richer sense of herself.
At twilight one evening, however, she slipped out and slit her throat before a hired hand, who had seen her and followed her, could prevent it.