Talk:upper hand

get the upper hand of someone

1831, Charles Paul de Kock, Le Cocu, page 170:

I seized the bell cord and jerked it violently, for I felt that my irritation was getting the upper hand of me. The waiter came ; he opened the door a crack and put the end of his nose inside , saying : “ What does monsieur wish ?

What does "upper hand" mean in this phrase? Simplificationalizer (talk) 20:51, 12 December 2022 (UTC)