green thumb

Idioms & Phrases

green thumb

A knack for making plants grow well, as in Just look at Louise's plantsshe really has a green thumb. This term presumably alludes to the stained fingers of an avid gardener. [First half of 1900s]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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