Question

All Thumbs awkward and clumsy, especially with the hands

Accepted Answer

Marco can't build the model of the atom for the science project. He's all thumbs. Human beings and apes have thumbs; most other animals don't. A thumb helps the other fingers pick things up, turn dials, and do other fine motor tasks. But what if all your fingers were thumbs? You'd have a hard time picking up small objects, keyboarding a computer, doing art projects, and so on. That's why this expression means clumsy at doing physical tasks with your hands.

Idiom	All Thumbs
Example	Marco can't build the model of the atom for the science project. He's all thumbs.
Meaning	awkward and clumsy, especially with the hands
Origin	Human beings and apes have thumbs; most other animals don't. A thumb helps the other fingers pick things up, turn dials, and do other fine motor tasks. But what if all your fingers were thumbs? You'd have a hard time picking up small objects, keyboarding a computer, doing art projects, and so on. That's why this expression means clumsy at doing physical tasks with your hands.

Thumbs Fingers Marco Build Model Atom Science Project