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All thumbs

All thumbs

Meaning

Clumsy or physically inept.

Examples

I just can’t manage to tie this bow tie – I’m all thumbs.

Where did it originate?

Britain, 19th century. A variant of the 16th century expression ‘each finger was a thumb’.

Where is it used?

Worldwide, more used by the older generations.

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About the Author

Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.
All thumbs

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