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From someone, somewhere, I remember hearing the phrase do you want a hand in this? I was told that it meant do you want to be a part of this?

However, when I googled this phrase, nothing turned up. So did I remember it wrong? Is there another phrase that means do you want to be a part of this?

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  • It sounds somehow a bit off to me. On the other hand, do you have a hand in this? seems a fairly normal question. Because of the negative connotation of "having a hand in something" (because it implies hidden influence?), it seems unlikely that someone will say they want to "have a hand in something". But I may just be rambling - it's too hot here.
    – oerkelens
    Jul 3, 2015 at 13:50

5 Answers 5

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It is sloppy English. In your context the phrase would be:

Do you want to have a hand in this?

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It's slang, it's kind of like you want to do something for someone but don't actually participate but you put your "hand" in it to make it happen.

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"Do you want a hand in this" is not a valid phrase as far as I can tell. "Do you want to lend a hand" or "Could you give me a hand" are commonly in use.

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It's a term I learned. "If you had a hand in this" it means someone did something that didn't wanted to be recognized. Could be positive or negative.

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  • The question is about "do you want a hand in this", not about "If you had a hand in this". What is the difference between this answer and the next one below?
    – user140086
    May 8, 2016 at 4:43
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My answer is " do you have a hand in this" meaning that person does not want to be recognized but wanted to be apart of the situation.

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