all fingers and thumbs
Lacking manual dexterity
All fingers and thumbs describes clumsy, fumbling movements with the hands—unable to manage fine motor tasks: I'm all fingers and thumbs trying to thread this needle.
The phrase suggests hands that won't cooperate, as if the fingers have lost their dexterity.
British English; the American equivalent is all thumbs.
- ineptLacking skill or competence
- butterfingersClumsy dropper of things
- clumsyLacking physical coordination
- gaucheSocially awkward, unrefined
- fumblingClumsy, uncoordinated handling
drop the ball · awkward · bungling · like a bull in a china shop · ham-handed · maladroit · two left feet · uncoordinated · all over the place · shaky · rattled · flustered · heavy-handed · discombobulated · cack-handed · embarrassed · self-conscious · unsure
all fingers and thumbsdeft
Skillful and quick
dexterous · nimble-fingered · handy · adroit · skillful
all fingers and thumbsgraceful
Elegant in movement
coordinated · adept · smooth · polished · proficient
finger, fingers, fingered, fingering, fingerprint, fingerboard, thumb, thumbs, thumbed