Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. satisfactorily, as required or desired.

1754		Trial of Elizabeth Canning in Howell State Trials (1816) 504: She is a very sober, honest girl, as any in England; she always behaved very handsome to every body.
1792		New Cheats of London Exposed 10: He must come down something handsome.
1818		W. Perry London Guide 55: If I had chosen to be sweet upon him, I might have drawn him something handsome, for he was ready tip.
1830		Bell’s Life in London 21 Feb. 3/2: Ginger and julep! — what a pair of mufflers! / [...] / And paint me handsome if these same I’ll wear.
1836		T. Haliburton Clockmaker (1843) I 155: We shall progress real handsome now; that are horse goes etarnal fast.
1836–7		Dickens Pickwick Papers (1999) 563: Lord! Why didn’t you say at first that you was willing to come down handsome?
1850		‘Ned Buntline’ G’hals of N.Y. 69: He lives tall, and can afford to come down very handsome, I dare say.
1851		R.S. Surtees Young Tom Hall (1926) 142: I’ve no doubt you’ll come down divilish handsome — turn some of your dibs into land and buy them a god substantial family house.
1861		(con. 1840s–50s) H. Mayhew London Labour and London Poor III 59/2: I hope you’ll come out handsome with your gold and silver.
1873		W.H. Thomes Slaver’s Adventures 247: ‘Do you feel like giving up the Portuguese as well as the king?’ ‘I s’pose no one would have any objection, if he come down putty handsome.’.
1888–94		‘Walter’ My Secret Life (1966) VI 1155: You’ve stumped up handsome.
1906		Marvel 10 Mar. 169: Peter will come down handsome for an introduction, if I can only manage to bring ’em together.
1921		‘Dornford Yates’ Berry and Co 11: In a word, she did as handsome as she was.
1930		M. Allingham Mystery Mile (1982) 308: When we’re successful you coughs up and you coughs up ’andsome.
1954		K. Amis letter 14 Mar. in Leader (2000) 377: She forgives me handsomely.
1962		F. Norman Guntz 9: Everything was going along double handsome.
1977		S. Berkoff East in Decadence and Other Plays (1985) 79: When we got our wheels we pulled handsomely.

2. (Aus.) expensively.

1910

Truth (Perth) 9 Apr. 8/8: Gives them pipes and mixes opium, / For which they do handsome part.