Word Story:

Caught Red Handed

Meaning
To be caught in the act of committing a crime, with the evidence there for all to see.

Origin
Red-handed is a straightforward allusion to having blood on one's hands after the execution of a murder or a poaching session. The term originates from Scotland. An earlier form of 'red-handed', simply 'red hand', dates back to a usage in the Scottish Acts of Parliament of James I, 1432.
Red-hand appears in print many times in Scottish legal proceedings from the 15th century onward. For example, this piece from Sir George Mackenzie's A discourse upon the laws and customs of Scotland in matters criminal, 1674:
"If he be not taken red-hand the sheriff cannot proceed against him."
The earliest known printed version of 'red-handed' is from Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe, 1819:
"I did but tie one fellow, who was taken red-handed and in the fact, to the horns of a wild stag."
Scott was an avid student of Scottish history and folklore, which he relentlessly mined for inspiration in his novel writing. He is certain to have heard 'red-hand' before writing Ivanhoe. The step from 'red-hand' to 'red-handed' isn't large, so calling Scott the originator of the term is perhaps being over generous to him. Nevertheless, the enormous popularity of his books certainly brought 'red-handed' to a wide audience and, without him, the term might now be long forgotten.

In Context: Mother caught me red-handed with a cookie from the jar.

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