handed

a back-handed compliment (British, American & Australian, American)

a remark which seems approving but which is also negative. He gave me that classic back-handed compliment. He said I played football very well 'for a woman'.

See also: compliment

cack-handed

1. lacking skill with your hands. Rob made a cack-handed attempt to fix the door and now it won't close at all. She doesn't strike me as the practical sort - she's a bit cack-handed.

2. lacking skill in the way that you deal with people. What struck me was the cack-handed way that he dealt with the whole situation.

catch someone red-handed

to discover someone doing something illegal or wrong. I caught him red-handed trying to break into my car. (often + doing something)

See also: catch

heavy-handed

1. if you try to control someone or something in a heavy-handed way, you use more force than is necessary or suitable. His heavy-handed style of management is extremely unpopular.

2. if an attempt to tell or teach someone something is heavy-handed, it is too obvious. The theme of drug abuse is treated in a way that is convincing without being heavy-handed.