Behind in payment, progress, or schedules; tardy, overdue, or lagging behind expected performance.
From 'behind' + 'hand,' suggesting 'behind' in terms of one's hand's work or labor output. The compound emerged in Early Modern English to describe falling short of expectations.
During the Industrial Revolution, 'behindhand' became a common term for factories or workers not meeting quotas—it captures a moment when time management and schedules became central to how people judged productivity.
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