The word “redhand” goes back to the fifteenth century Scottish people and became “red-handed” within judicial circles in Britain during the eighteenth century.
It means that someone has been caught in the act of committing a crime or that there is an irrefutable body of evidence to establish the criminal’s guilt.
Its original reference was to murder, and the red on the hands of the accused was the blood of his victim.
So when there is no doubt of someone’s guilt we say they were caught “red-handed”.
Related Posts
-
What Does Ambidextrous Mean and Why Do Some People Write Left-Handed But Play Sports Right-Handed?
The notion of ambidexterity is valid, and some people do show equal proficiency in various manual skills with both hands. However, hand-use preferences are on a continuum, and a mere three categories of…
-
What Decides Whether You Will Be Right-Handed or Left-Handed?
Although not all scientists agree on the answer, many believe that most people's brains develop more on one side than on the other. And since the left side of your brain controls the…
-
Why Are More People Right-Handed Than Left-Handed?
The right half of the brain controls the left side of the body, and the left side of the brain controls the right side of the body. In most people, the left side…
-
Is It Possible For One Identical Twin To Be Left-Handed and the Other Twin Right-Handed?
About 10 percent of identical twins have different dominant hands. Nobody knows the causes of handedness. Left-handedness tends to run in families, but because many identical twins have different handedness, we know that…
-
Why Is the Red Sea Red In Color, How Did the Red Sea Get Its Name, and What Does It Mean In Latin?
No one is sure how the Red Sea got its name, but some people think it is because the water looks red during the summer when a reddish-brown algae floats on the surface.…
-
Why Is Red Meat Red and White Meat White and What Is the Difference Between Red Meat and White Meat?
Red meat is red because the muscle fibers which make up the bulk of the meat contain a high content of myoglobin and mitochondria, which are colored red. Myoglobin, a protein similar to…
