grass hand

English

Noun

grass hand (plural grass hands)

1. (printing, archaic) An additional worker taken on at busy times.
   • 1921, British and Colonial Printer and Stationer: And Newspaper Press:

     Some strong criticism was expressed at the present practice of taking on grass hands, and the inconvenience and unpleasantness resulting from it in various foundries.

   • The Printing Review (page 112)

     A dispute has arisen on the "Referee" owing to some men holding full frames working as grass hands on Saturday afternoons.

2. (dated) Grass script; caoshu.