dry-handed

‘And now, ’ she said, ‘ye maun hae arms—ye maunna gang on dry-handed; —but use them not rashly—take captive, but save life—let the law hae its ain—he maun speak ere he die.

Chapter LIII 1917

Fight, and kill beasts dry-handed with sweet words?

Atalanta in Calydon Algernon Charles Swinburne 1873

The ball is invariably thrown to him, or the equally dry-handed Paul Collingwood, for polishing duties.

Telegraph.co.uk - Telegraph online, Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph 2011

'And now,' she said, 'ye maun hae arms: ye maunna gang on dry-handed; but use them not rashly.

Guy Mannering — Complete Walter Scott 1801

'So he had his griego wrapped close round him, and I judged he was not dry-handed; so I thought it was best to speak proper, and so he believed I was a Manks man, and I kept ay between him and her, for fear she had whistled.

Guy Mannering, Or, the Astrologer — Complete Walter Scott 1801

'So he had his griego wrapped close round him, and I judged he was not dry-handed; so I thought it was best to speak proper, and so he believed I was a Manks man, and I kept ay between him and her, for fear she had whistled.

Guy Mannering — Complete Walter Scott 1801

'And now,' she said, 'ye maun hae arms: ye maunna gang on dry-handed; but use them not rashly.

Guy Mannering, Or, the Astrologer — Complete Walter Scott 1801

'So he had his griego wrapped close round him, and I judged he was not dry-handed; so I thought it was best to speak proper, and so he believed I was a Manks man, and I kept ay between him and her, for fear she had whistled.

Guy Mannering, Or, the Astrologer — Volume 02 Walter Scott 1801

'And now,' she said, 'ye maun hae arms: ye maunna gang on dry-handed; but use them not rashly.

Guy Mannering, Or, the Astrologer — Volume 02 Walter Scott 1801

‘So he had his griego wrapped close round him, and I judged he was not dry-handed; so I thought it was best to speak proper, and so he believed I was a Manks man, and I kept ay between him and her, for fear she had whistled.

Guy Mannering 1815