dead hand
noun1
A residual undesirable influence from the past.
- I'll leave the very bad news to the end as it's outside the industry's control. Yes, the dead hand of the Department for Transport (DfT) still rules!2021 July 14, Barry Doe, “Flexi Seasons undermined by complicated calculations”, in RAIL, number 935, page 54:
2
Card games, Games A hand that is dealt but not used during a card game.
3
Board games, Games, Mahjong A penalty where a player continues to take their turns, but can no longer win or make tile calls for the remainder of the hand.
- Related terms
- Dead Hand