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[00:08.12]And now, Words and Their Stories

[00:11.56]from VOA Learning English.

[00:19.88]On this show we explore

[00:21.84]words and expressions a little more deeply.

[00:25.44]We give you synonyms

[00:27.84]– words that mean close to the same thing.

[00:31.36]And we use the expressions in a conversation.

[00:36.92]Today we talk about our hands

[00:40.88]– more specifically our thumbs.

[00:45.04]Most of us have one thumb

[00:47.56]and four fingers on each hand.

[00:51.52]Our thumbs let us perform certain tasks.

[00:55.64]But what if all our fingers were replaced with thumbs?

[01:03.04]Those tasks we normally perform with ease

[01:06.92]would become much more difficult.

[01:10.56]In fact, we would lose the ability

[01:13.44]to do many things with our hands.

[01:16.92]Our movements would become careless and clumsy.

[01:22.40]We would drop things all the time.

[01:26.00]And that is what the saying to be all thumbs means.

[01:32.64]If I am all thumbs,

[01:35.24]I lack grace with my hands.

[01:38.12]I am klutzy.

[01:40.12]So, people might call me a klutz.

[01:44.72]They might also call me butterfingers.

[01:47.96]Imagine your fingers are coated in butter.

[01:52.60]They would be very slippery.

[01:55.60]And it would hard to pick things up.

[01:59.68]Now, let's hear the expression "to be all thumbs"

[02:03.92]in a conversation between two friends.

[02:07.64]A: Hey, I'm planning a surprise party for Nicholas.

[02:12.76]I'm bringing the food and ice.

[02:16.04]And Cassidy is bringing the drinks

[02:19.00]– about 50 bottles of wine and lemonade.

[02:23.12]Can you bring the cake?

[02:25.12]B: I have a better idea. I'll pick up the drinks.

[02:29.64]Why don't you ask Cassidy to bring the cake?

[02:32.20]A: Why?

[02:33.40]B: Cassidy is all thumbs.

[02:35.68]She'll end up dropping everything

[02:37.68]and then we won't have drinks at the party.

[02:39.80]A: Good call. She is pretty clumsy.

[02:44.16]Actually, at the last party she dropped the cake.

[02:48.56]On second thought ... I'll have her bring the ice.

[02:52.72]If she drops the bags of ice,

[02:54.72]it'll only help break it up.

[02:56.76]B: Very smart.

[02:59.24]And that's all the time we have

[03:02.32]for this Words and Their Stories.

[03:05.20]Until next time ... I'm Anna Matteo.

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Words in This Story

clumsy – adj.lacking skill or grace in movement

klutzy – adj. to be careless in movement:

klutz – n. a clumsy person

slippery – adj. causing or tending to cause something to slide or fall