cow-handed
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Forms: form: more cow-handed
form: most cow-handed
Senses: examples: text: I have broken one of Grandmother's treasured ornaments. She will be furious with me for being so cow-handed.
ref: 1978, A wreath of orchids, page 77:
text: I don't know if he has told you, but his ankle has not healed as it should . . . the doctor who treated him originally was appallingly cow-handed! I sometimes suspect that his grace shares my own fear that it will never again bear his weight.
ref: 1986, Bath Intrigue, page 34:
text: She pulled up her pair with ease, wondering in amusement who could have been so cow-handed as to overturn a modest curricle on an even road with no other vehicles in sight.
ref: 1986, The Great Lady Tony, page 68:
text: "Try not to be too cow-handed, Jerry," Mr. More remarked as his friend handed Lucy up.
"What you mean is, try not to spoil your team too much," the other answered with a similar straight face.
ref: 1988, Sir Sham, page 40:
text: "Damnation," said Dench levelly. "Where's that cow-handed youngster?"
ref: 1989, The Favored Child, page 46:
text: He was in a race with some friends, he said, and had backed himself to reach Brighton before them. Cursing himself for a cow-handed fool, his shame was evident.
ref: 1991, A Lady of Breeding, page 26:
text: I should have known Tony is too cow-handed to drive you comfortably on this excuse for a road.
ref: 1991, The Scarlet Lady, page 319:
text: Cow-handed drivers, both of them.
ref: 1992, An Uncommon Affair, page 110:
text: After that dreadful, cow-handed response to her invitation yesterday, when he had, yet again, let his pride overrule his heart, Jack had been ready to give up.
ref: 1993, Runaway Duchess, page 215:
text: "Cow-handed cawker! Can you not control your beasts?" Affronted, Robert stood back. He considered himself an expert whip, quite top-o'-the-trees. Ask anyone in London! As for fault, why had she not looked where she was going?
ref: 1993, The Green Fox, page 7:
text: "But I could not drive a pair of horses in any case," said Miss Wentworth regretfully. "I drive our gig, back home, but Richard says I'm cow-handed and could never manage a pair.
ref: 1994, An Inconvenient Engagement, page 108:
text: A cow-handed whipster. Rides well enough, but not handy with a team.
ref: 1994, Christmas Ecapade, page 117:
text: But I'll give you this, Quentin, you're not cow-handed — like some I could name
ref: 1994, Diamond in Disguise, page 106:
text: "Then we must have a rematch, Monty. I know, I'll take along Miss Gresham as ballast."
"Well, I like that," Davida choked out over her laugh.
"No, it's not safe for her. You're too cow-handed.
ref: 1994, The Jilting of Baron Pelham, page 43:
text: Ain't no sense in trying to fight our way back to Town through a melee of cow-handed, half-foxed, aspiring young bloods
ref: 1995, An Immodest Proposal, page 73:
text: In a bored voice, he droned, "One sees so many cow-handed drivers on the roads, 'tis shocking."
Elizabeth pasted a patently false smile on her face. "No doubt, sir, you would know more about cow-handed driving than I
ref: 1997, Elizabeth and the Major, page 62:
text: "As if he'd let a cow-handed bantling like you handle them," Cecily muttered.
"Children!" Meredyth protested, her face flushing. "What must Lord Englemere think, to hear you brangle so?"
ref: 1999, The Wedding Gamble, page 104:
text: "Let go of my reins, you cow-handed sapskull!" Tassie reared as Pamela jerked her reins from the baronet's hands and smacked at him with her crop.
ref: 2002, A Country Courtship, page 101:
text: Yeah— the cow-handed sod with Bowyer!
ref: 2002, Kydd: A Naval Adventure, page 49:
text: On the following morning, Rufus read the advertisement in the Times and thought either Kingslade was a trifle cow-handed, or he had discounted the intelligence of his enemy. The brief, almost poetic message was beyond obvious.
ref: 2003, Murder at Almack's, page 213:
text: Roger let out a great bark of laughter, then slapped Jason heartily on the back, causing him to spill the remainder of his drink. "Terribly sorry, old chap. Cow-handed in the extreme. Didn't get yer gown, did it, m'dear?" he asked Garnet, who stood nearest to Jason. "No harm, dearie," she said, masking her vexation as she brushed away a few spots from the purple horror she was wearing.
ref: 2003, Yankee Earl, page 143:
text: "You cow-handed bastard. Why don't you try your fists on someone nearer to your own weight?"
"I'll show you who's cow-handed."
ref: 2004, Untamed, page 14:
text: who wouldn't rather have an artist in the matter of feminine seduction than a cow-handed knaif?
her papa had never referred to her as "a rum business" or "a dunderhead." It was the word "cow-handed'," however, that set up her hackles. "What are you blathering about?" she snapped. Sir Frances stopped midrant, and just in the nick of time, for his next words would have been "veriest whipster,"
ref: 2004, Lover's Knot, pages 194, 202:
text: She glared at him, but finally she curtsied.
Freddie winced. "What was that?"
She put her hands on her hips and scowled. "My curtsy. If you're just going to make fun of me—"
"Not a'tall. Though that particular attempt was a bit cow-handed.
ref: 2006, Pride and Petticoats, page 174:
text: Beatrice, I would never show you up. I know how ashamed you are of being cow-handed.
ref: 2007, Wideacre, page 327:
text: Spence's own tearing pace and cow-handed drivng had done the trick.
ref: 2008, The Marriage Bargain, page 42:
text: Leland was determined to get home before someone else, some sap-skulled suitor of Tony's widow, made cow-handed riders out of the boys.
ref: 2011, Father Christmas, page 61:
text: I must admit I'm finding it monstrously amusing, the way it's made him so cow-handed.
ref: 2012, Courtship and Curses, page 148:
text: It seems they were delayed returning home from a tour of the royal menagerie this afternoon by an accident between the driver of their coach and that of some cow-handed young blood trying to drive to an inch.
ref: 2013, For Love Alone, page 114:
text: Her disapproval had turned into true dislike when Bronwyn had ignored the woman's cow-handed attempt at matchmaking Bronwyn with that lady's lack-witted brother.
ref: 2014, Karen Hawkins, The Prince Who Loved Me, page 37:
text: 2018 Jared, "Tech Evangelist", Silicon Valley episode 42, 5 minutes
You judas, you cow-handed poltroon, we thought you were a stallion.
glosses: Alternative form of cow handed.