Meaning of Idiom ‘All Thumbs’
To be all thumbs means to be physically awkward and clumsy, especially with one’s hands.
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Sentence Examples
“I dropped an expensive vase yesterday and had to pay for it. I’m all thumbs.”
“Pete loves working with his hands. Too bad he’s all thumbs!”
Origin
This idiom, derived from a proverb dating from the 1500’s, alludes to how awkward it would be to have all of one’s fingers be thumbs. A proverb in John Heywood’s 1546 collection is an antecedent:
“When he should get aught, each finger is a thumb.”
25 Body Parts Idioms | Idioms Online Video
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