IdiomBody & Senses
Swedish
SwedishAtt ha tummen mitt i handen
Meaning: To be hopelessly clumsy; all thumbs.
Literally: To have the thumb in the middle of the hand
Example: “Jag har tummen mitt i handen när det gäller att montera möbler.” — I'm all thumbs when it comes to putting furniture together.
English equivalent: All thumbs
Origin: A thumb sitting in the middle of the palm could not grip anything, so a hand built that way would be useless. SAOB records ha tummen mitt i handen (also mitt i näven, the fist) for being impractical or clumsy, quoting it from the 1980s. English says "to be all thumbs."
Equivalents in other languages
English: all thumbs
More Swedish idioms
- Nu är det kokta fläsket stekt Now we're really in trouble.
- Att kasta yxan i sjön To give up completely.
- Att ha en räv bakom örat To be cunning and sly.
- Att smita från notan To dodge paying or shirk responsibility.
- Att sätta sig på tvären To be obstinate and refuse to cooperate.
- ge järnet Exert maximum effort; give one's all.
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- Tu as une cervelle de moineau You're scatterbrained and forgetful.
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- Cabeça de alho chocho A forgetful scatterbrain whose thoughts won't stay put.
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