Comments on: Green thumb http://www.word-detective.com/2009/09/29/green-thumb/ Semper Ubi Sub Ubi Mon, 06 Sep 2010 14:58:35 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Yael http://www.word-detective.com/2009/09/29/green-thumb/comment-page-1/#comment-2362 Yael Fri, 14 Aug 2009 08:10:06 +0000 http://www.word-detective.com/?p=1711#comment-2362 Dave: It sounds much less plausible than the explanation in the article. The story seems much too detailed, too particular; and also, it does not explain why 'green thumb' is a term of praise for a *good* gardener (is a gardener without fungus-ridden fingers necessarily a worse one?). Dave:
It sounds much less plausible than the explanation in the article. The story seems much too detailed, too particular; and also, it does not explain why ‘green thumb’ is a term of praise for a *good* gardener (is a gardener without fungus-ridden fingers necessarily a worse one?).

]]> By: Dave http://www.word-detective.com/2009/09/29/green-thumb/comment-page-1/#comment-2334 Dave Fri, 07 Aug 2009 15:24:22 +0000 http://www.word-detective.com/?p=1711#comment-2334 It is my understanding that the term "Green Thumb" comes from gardeners who often didn't have access to clean their hands after working in the soil, and often because of bacteria and fungus in the soil, often a person who spent much of their time working with the soil often got a fungus under the nail(s) of their hands, and in particular their thumbs, hence the term "GREEN THUMB". I think I heard this explination on HGTV, as a question asked by a viewer. I do NOT have any "proof" of this but it sure sounds plausible to me. It is my understanding that the term “Green Thumb” comes from gardeners who often didn’t have access to clean their hands after working in the soil, and often because of bacteria and fungus in the soil, often a person who spent much of their time working with the soil often got a fungus under the nail(s) of their hands, and in particular their thumbs, hence the term “GREEN THUMB”.

I think I heard this explination on HGTV, as a question asked by a viewer.

I do NOT have any “proof” of this but it sure sounds plausible to me.

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