on all hands

It means that something is happening or being said by everyone involved in a particular situation, or that support/agreement comes from all directions. Think of it as universal participation or consensus within a specific group.

It can be either! If something is approved 'on all hands', that's positive. But if criticism comes 'on all hands', it means the criticism is widespread and likely significant, which is negative.

Sure! Imagine your family decides to get a dog. If everyone—parents, siblings, even the cat—is excited about it, you could say the decision was supported 'on all hands'.

Use it when you want to emphasize that a decision, opinion, or action has support from or involves every single person in the group you're talking about. It's great for highlighting unanimous agreement or widespread involvement.

It works well for team meetings, community decisions, or describing widespread public reactions. For instance, you could say a new policy was controversial 'on all hands' if many different groups opposed it.

You can, but it might sound a bit formal depending on your friend. It's generally safer in slightly more serious contexts like work emails or discussions about important decisions. For super casual chats, simpler phrases might fit better.

It leans more towards neutral or slightly formal. It's not overly stuffy, but it's definitely not slang. You'd typically find it in written reports, professional discussions, or when you want to sound a bit more considered.

'Everyone agrees' is very neutral and widely applicable. 'On all hands' adds a layer of emphasis and sounds slightly more official or considered, making it suitable for contexts where you want to stress the universality of the agreement or involvement.

'By everyone' is a more direct and literal way to say that a group of people did something. 'On all hands' is an idiom that implies the same thing but adds a nuance of 'coming from all directions' or 'universally agreed upon'.

Yes, similar phrases include 'across the board,' 'unanimously,' 'from all quarters,' and 'by popular demand,' depending on the exact nuance you want to convey.

While the core meaning is consistent, its usage might feel slightly more common in certain English-speaking regions or in older literature. It's widely understood, but perhaps less frequently used in everyday casual speech compared to simpler alternatives.

A frequent error is using it when only a small number of people are involved. For example, saying 'My three friends liked the idea on all hands' is incorrect because 'on all hands' implies a much broader scope.

Certainly. Saying 'He was praised on all hands by his two colleagues' is a mistake. It should be 'He was praised by his two colleagues' or, if the praise was truly widespread, 'He was praised on all hands' (implying more than just two colleagues).

If something, like support or criticism, comes 'on all hands,' it means it originates from many different sources or people within the relevant group. It emphasizes the widespread nature of its origin.

Yes, you might hear it occasionally, especially in dramas or news programs where slightly more formal language is used. It's less common in very casual sitcoms or teen dramas, but still understood.

Absolutely! If a task requires everyone's participation, you could say 'The success of this project depends on effort on all hands.' It means everyone needs to contribute.

It likely comes from older English, where 'hands' often referred to people involved in labor or a group. So, 'on all hands' meant 'from all the people involved' or 'by everyone's effort'.

They are very similar. 'On all hands' often implies agreement or unified action coming from everyone. 'From every side' can sometimes suggest opposition or conflicting sources, though context is key for both.

It's difficult to make 'on all hands' sound truly casual because of its inherent structure. Usually, simpler phrases like 'everyone agreed' or 'everyone liked it' are better choices for casual conversation.

Potentially, yes. If a decision was clearly unpopular but someone said, 'Oh yes, it was approved 'on all hands',' they might be using sarcasm to highlight the lack of genuine agreement.