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The idiom “go hand in hand” means two things are connected or happen at the same time. The word “hand” has various meanings in English idioms. The literal meaning of holding hands gave rise to the figurative meaning. It often implies a cause and effect relationship or intentional cooperation.
“Going hand in hand” is a common idiomatic expression in English, which means it is often used figuratively rather than literally. To say that two things “go hand in hand” means that they are found together or that they happen at the same time. For example, someone who enjoys reading might say, “A good book and happiness go hand in hand.” Neither a book nor happiness have hands, of course, but the expression is used figuratively to indicate that they are connected.
The wide variety of English idioms that use the word “hand” could be confusing to a non-native speaker. A “hand” can refer to the cards someone holds in their hands; a person who works with his hands, as in “a mercenary”; or a particular side of the body, such as “the left side.” It could also be used as a verb, as in “deliver it.”
After knowing the meaning of “go hand in hand,” however, one can easily see how its figurative meaning comes from the literal sense of having folded hands. If two people are literally holding hands, one cannot go where the other cannot go. The phrase has been used in the literal sense since about 1500, with the figurative meaning coming into use in the 1570s.
This sentence is often followed by “with,” as in “Job satisfaction goes hand in hand with increased productivity.” This means that job satisfaction and productivity go hand in hand, or to put it another way, that employees who enjoy their jobs work better. The figure of speech emphasizes that one is rarely found without the other and often involves a cause and effect relationship.
A secondary meaning of the phrase may refer to people working together for a specific purpose, as in “Alfred and Mary worked side by side to design the roller coaster.” Like the primary meaning, this usage emphasizes that two things come together and implies intentional cooperation. In this case, one event does not cause another – Alfred does not make Mary work harder – but both work hard simultaneously for the success of the project.
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