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Thanks for your understanding.
Chris -- 2018-04-11
I saw this in an advice column today (http://www.salon.com/mwt/col/tenn/2006/09/13/sons_gift/). The suggestion was that rather than allowing a younger son (12) give a large sum of money in one lump to his older brother, the money should be placed in an account overseen by someone outside of the transaction. “A steady hand on the till.”
A “till” is a cachment for money. From Merriam-Webster online:
Main Entry: 4 till
Pronunciation: ‘til
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English tille locker, chest
1 a : a box, drawer, or tray in a receptacle (as a cabinet or chest) used especially for valuables b : a money drawer in a store or bank; also : CASH REGISTER
2 a : the money contained in a till b : a supply of especially ready money
The phrase the writer is echoing is “a steady hand on the tiller”, defined as “a lever used to turn the rudder of a boat from side to side; broadly : a device or system that plays a part in steering something”
This could be an intentional play on words.
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I think you have a genuine eggcorn there. And, if you ever suspect that a phrase has been contrived, you might consider running a Google search on it and make a judgement about the earnestness of the utterers.
Google counts on Sept 13, 2006:
9270 “steady hand on the tiller” – the original
64 “steady hand on the TILL” – the eggcorn
Examples:
Seeds of Transformation: Towards a Spiritual Renaissance in a Time …We also thank Bea Boes, our spiritual accountant, for keeping her good, steady hand on the till; Bill Koerner, for his yeoman service in keeping us …
www.humanitysteam.org/gathering/speaker_summary.html – 19k – Cached – Similar pages
Fergus Cassidy » ETHOS 21 NOVEMBER 2004These days there’s just a steady hand on the till. Outside of economics, we are being left to our own devices. In the realm of media and communications …
www.ferguscassidy.ie/ethos-21-Nov-2004.html – 10k – Cached – Similar page
Political Animal :: View topic – Howard- reactive politics- why …We had a booming economy that has kept the strenght , and just needed a steady hand on the till . No doubt others like Beazley or Costello could have done …
polanimal.it.net.au/viewtopic.php?p=17852&sid=7dcf515b5696a41da47f7f61a4798cbc – 79k – Supplemental Result – Cached – Similar pages
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There may be another phrase exerting influence here, as well. The idiom “to have a hand in the till” usually refers to an employee who’s stealing from the company they work for. The people who write that there’s “a steady hand on the till” may be attempting to reassure others, but I can’t help but think that a hand on the till may soon be in it.
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Thanks Pat. See me post in the Eggcornology section on “Idiom blends”
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