all thumbs

Cultural  

1. Clumsy or awkward: “Where plumbing is concerned, Walter is all thumbs.”

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all thumbs Idioms  

1. Physically awkward, especially with respect to the hands, as in When it comes to knitting, Mary is all thumbs. The notion of this idiom derives from a proverb in John Heywood's collection of 1546: “When he should get aught, each finger is a thumb.”

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Example Sentences

“I asked J.P. for a scouting report on Frazier as a shortstop and he was all thumbs up, saying he could handle it,” Servais said.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 15, 2022

He’s all thumbs in the exposé “The Teenager Who Hacked Twitter” on a new “The New York Times Presents.”

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 13, 2020

But when personnel moves aren’t front and center, the show’s kid gloves become all thumbs.

From Slate • Aug. 28, 2019

As for navigating the Raiders page, it helps if you're all thumbs.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 17, 2010

Lies, who’s all thumbs, gets lost in the mayhem.

From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank

Related Words

• bulky
• heavy-handed
• inept
• ponderous
• ungainly
• unwieldy