Green’s Dictionary of Slang

to hurry up, to make haste.

1788, 1796		Grose Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue (2nd, 3rd edn).
1811		Lex. Balatronicum.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1901		Boy’s Own Paper 27 Apr. 479: Phrases derived from the sea [...] to ‘bear a hand’.
1939		‘Some Annapolis Sl.’ in AS XIV:1 Feb. 77/1: bear a hand. Shake a leg.