E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.
Hand over Hand.
To go or to come up hand over hand, is to travel with great rapidity, as climbing a rope or a ladder, or as one vessel overtakes another. Sailors in hauling a rope put one hand over the other alternately as fast as they can. In French, “Main sur main.”
1
“Commandment fait aux matelots qui halent sur une manœuvre pour qu’ils passent alternativement une main sur l’autre sans interruption, et pour que le travail se fasse plus promptement.”—Royal Dictionnaire.
