核心畫面

You can think of handily as the hand's own measure of two things: distance and effort. If something sits inside the reach of your hand, you do not have to walk for it, hunt for it, or work for it. A key kept by the door is inside that reach. So, in a different way, is a win that costs you almost nothing.

handily 可以想成用「手」在量兩件事:距離和力氣。東西如果就在手構得到的地方,你不用走過去、不用翻找、也不用花更多收起handily 可以想成用「手」在量兩件事:距離和力氣。東西如果就在手構得到的地方,你不用走過去、不用翻找、也不用花力氣。門邊的那串鑰匙在這個範圍裡;而贏得毫不費力的一場比賽,感覺上也在這個範圍裡。這個字的兩個用法,都可以想成從「伸手就到」長出來。

From the word’s history

Handily is handy plus -ly, and handy is built on hand, so the adverb sits directly on the body part.

handily 是 handy 加上 -ly,而 handy 又是蓋在 hand(手)上面的。所以這個副詞從構詞上就綁著「手」,也難怪它的用法都繞著「伸手可及」打轉。

Wiktionary etymology supplied in packet (kaikki:3f6f69a190036ae4:135589116): From handy + -ly. Compare Middle English hendily, hendiliche.

Two branches

位置順手

最貼近「手」的用法:講的就是東西擺在伸手可及的地方。

r · C1

In a place where something is easy to reach or easy to get to. If something is handily placed, kept or put somewhere, you can use it the moment you need it.

順手地;就在手邊

贏得不費力

把「伸手就到」從距離換成力氣:結果像放在手邊一樣,不必掙扎就到手。

r · C1

Easily and by a clear amount. It is used most often about winning, beating someone, or getting through something, when the result was never close and did not take much effort.

輕鬆地;大幅領先地