sticky fingers

See synonyms for: sticky fingerssticky-fingered on Thesaurus.com

plural nounInformal.
  1. a propensity to steal.

Origin of sticky fingers

1
First recorded in 1930–35

Other words from sticky fingers

  • stick·y-fin·gered [stik-ee-fing-gerd], /ˈstɪk iˈfɪŋ gərd/, adjective

Words Nearby sticky fingers

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use sticky fingers in a sentence

  • More than that, I know why you were fired out of Maxwell's office; you've got sticky fingers.

    The Real Man | Francis Lynde

Other Idioms and Phrases with sticky fingers

sticky fingers

A propensity to steal, as in You'd better not leave any cash around; she's known for her sticky fingers. This metaphor makes it seem as if valuables adhere naturally to a thief's fingers. [Colloquial; late 1800s]

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.