hand
n.— «There may be fewer bananas around this year, following Cyclone Larry in Far North Queensland, but that doesn’t mean the quality of the fruit has dropped. That’s the consensus after the Ekka, when many “hands” (what shoppers usually refer to as a “bunch”) of bananas were still sent in for display and judging.» —“A hand of prize-winning bananas” by Kelly Higgins-Devine 612 ABC (Brisbane, Australia) Aug. 21, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Language is always evolving, and that’s also true for American Sign Language. A century ago, the sign for “telephone” was one fist below your mouth and the other at your ear, as if you’re holding an old-fashioned candlestick...
We tend to take the index of a book for granted, but centuries ago, these helpful lists were viewed with suspicion. Some even worried that indexes would harm reading comprehension! A witty new book tells the story. Plus, the Latin term bona fides...