The story
From the proverb "when he should get aught, each finger is a thumb", from John Heywood's Collection of 1546.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.
all thumbs
Today it means: Clumsy; awkward; not dextrous. Full definition →
Today it means: Clumsy; awkward; not dextrous. Full definition →
From the proverb "when he should get aught, each finger is a thumb", from John Heywood's Collection of 1546.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.