finger

be all fingers and thumbs be clumsy or awkward in your actions. British informal

☞ In the mid 16th century this idea was expressed in the form each finger is a thumb. All thumbs developed in the 19th century as an expression indicating a complete lack of dexterity.

burn your fingers (or get your fingers burned/burnt) suffer unpleasant consequences as a result of your actions.

2014Derby Telegraph Don't play games in love unless you want to get your fingers burned.

count something on the fingers of one hand: seecount.

cross your fingers: seecross.

get (or pull) your finger out cease prevaricating and start to act. British informal

give someone the finger make a gesture with the middle finger raised as an obscene sign of contempt. North American informal

☞ Since 1976, this gesture has sometimes been called the Rockefeller Gesture after Nelson Rockefeller was seen making it on a news film.

have a finger in every pie be involved in a large and varied number of activities or enterprises.

have a finger in the pie be involved in a matter, especially in an annoyingly interfering way.

have your fingers in the till: seetill.

have (or keep) your finger on the pulse be aware of all the latest news or developments.

have green fingers: seegreen.

have more something in your little finger than someone else has in their whole body have immeasurably more of a particular quality than the other named person has. informal

2005The Register You, sir, are no Steve Jobs who, I suggest, has more business acumen in his little finger than you have in your whole body.

lay a finger on touch someone, usually with the intention of harming them.

1993Tony ParkerMay the Lord in His Mercy be Kind to Belfast The one thing I'll say about my husband is he never laid a finger on the children and he never hit me in front of them.

let something slip through your fingers: seeslip.

lift a finger: seelift.

point the finger openly accuse someone or apportion blame.

2004Guardian This, of course, leads many to point the finger at schools.

put something on the long finger postpone consideration of something; put something off. Irish

put the finger on inform against someone to the authorities. informal

put your finger in the dyke: seedyke.

put your finger on identify something exactly.

1988Glenn PattersonBurning Your Own There was something about the dinette that struck him as peculiar, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

snap (or click) your fingers make a sharp clicking sound by bending the last joint of the middle finger against the thumb and suddenly releasing it, typically in order to attract attention in a peremptory way or to accompany the beat of music.

stick to someone's fingers (of money) be embezzled by a person. informal

sticky fingers: seesticky.

twist (or wind or wrap) someone around your little finger have the ability to make someone do whatever you want.

work your fingers to the bone: seebone.

your fingers itch you are longing or impatient to do something.

2013Express If you are saddled with chalky soil and your fingers itch to take on rhododendrons, camellias, pieris or other lime-haters, the solution is simple.