A finger is one of the four long thin joints that are attached to the hand. The plural is ‘fingers’.
HOT TIP – The remaining digit is called a ‘thumb‘ (with a silent ‘b’), which also has some idioms too.
finger idioms list
Let’s look at some popular body idioms that contain the word ‘finger’.
- all fingers and thumbs
meaning – a clumsy person
example – Don’t pass the ball to Hannah, she’s all fingers and thumbs. - five-finger discount
meaning – shoplifting, stealing
example – Do you like my new shoes? I got them with my five-finger discount. - have green fingers/green fingered
meaning – good at gardening
example – My nan was green fingered. I must get it from her. - have one’s fingers in lots of pies
meaning – be involved in many different things
example – She does yoga, Pilates, running and karate. That woman has her fingers in lots of pies. - keep one’s fingers crossed
meaning – hope for good luck/a good outcome
example – Good luck with your driving test tomorrow. I’ve got my fingers crossed for you. - not lift a finger
meaning – do nothing to help
example – My teenagers don’t lift a finger around the house. I’m fed up of being treated like a slave. - point the finger
meaning – accuse/blame someone
example – Someone stole money from my desk. I don’t want to point the finger, but I think it was Katy. - pull one’s finger out
meaning – stop wasting time and start working/concentrating
example – Logan has pulled his finger out and is working to support his child. - put one’s finger on something
meaning – identify something
example – I can’t put my finger on which employee is stealing from me. I’ve narrowed to down to 3. - sticky fingers
meaning – a tendency to steal things
example – Don’t leave your bag lying around. I bet the people who drink here have sticky fingers. - work one’s fingers to the bone
meaning – work very hard
example – My dad worked his fingers to the bone then dies a week after he retired. - wrap around one’s little finger
meaning – have complete control over somebody
example – I caught my teacher doing something wrong. Now, he’s wrapped around my little finger.
finger idioms list with pictures
Here’s some real life picture examples.
You can download a table of ‘finger’ idioms and expressions below.
If you’ve enjoyed this page, don’t forget to check out some more body idioms by clicking on the links below.