get hands dirty and dirty hands; soil hands



get one's hands dirty and dirty one's hands; soil one's hands

 
1. Fig. to get closely involved in a difficult task. You have to get your hands dirty if you expect to get the gutters cleaned out.
2. Fig. to become involved with something illegal; to do a shameful thing; to do something that is beneath one. The mayor would never get his hands dirty by giving away political favors. I will not dirty my hands by breaking the law.
See also: and, dirty, get, hand, soil

Common Names:

NameGenderPronouncedUsage
Nidia-Spanish
Kaloyan-Bulgarian
Mahmoud-Arabic, Persian
DobrosŁAwadaw-braw-SWAH-vahPolish
MarcMAHRHK (French)French, Catalan, Welsh
EveretteEV-ə-rit, ev-ə-RETEnglish