green fingers
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English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]PIE word |
---|
*pénkʷe |
From green (adjective) + fingers,[1] possibly popularized by the British gardener and radio and television broadcaster Cecil Henry Middleton (1886–1945).
Pronunciation
[edit]- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ɡɹiːn ˈfɪŋɡəz/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ɡɹin ˈfɪŋɡəɹz/
Audio (General Australian): (file) - Hyphenation: green fing‧ers
Noun
[edit]green fingers pl (plural only)
- (idiomatic, informal) A seemingly natural gardening ability.
- Synonym: (US) green thumb
- 2008 August 29, David Adam, “Environment: Johnson unveils secret weapon in war on climate change – the roof garden”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian[1], London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2023-03-13:
- To some they are a rural escape in the centre of the city, to others they are a chance to test their green fingers and design skills. Now London mayor Boris Johnson has found a new use for urban roof gardens – as a key weapon on the front line against global warming.
Usage notes
[edit]The term is chiefly used in the form to have green fingers.
Derived terms
[edit]Related terms
[edit]- green thumb (US)
Translations
[edit]seemingly natural gardening ability — see green thumb
References
[edit]- ^ “green fingers, n.”, in OED Online
, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, December 2023; “green fingers, plural n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
Categories:
- English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European word *pénkʷe
- English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
- English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *gʰreh₁-
- English endocentric compounds
- English compound terms
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
- English terms with audio links
- English lemmas
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- English idioms
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- English adjective-noun compound nouns
- en:Horticulture