Comments on: Green thumb http://www.word-detective.com/2009/09/green-thumb/ Semper Ubi Sub Ubi Wed, 20 Mar 2013 19:32:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Proud Green Digits | Wellness by Nature's Design http://www.word-detective.com/2009/09/green-thumb/comment-page-1/#comment-43097 Proud Green Digits | Wellness by Nature's Design Wed, 29 Aug 2012 17:55:41 +0000 http://www.word-detective.com/?p=1711#comment-43097 [...] Back to thoughts on the movie.  I found myself wondering about the etymology of “greenthumb” and “greenfingers” and stumbled upon some interesting information.  Read about it here. [...] [...] Back to thoughts on the movie.  I found myself wondering about the etymology of “greenthumb” and “greenfingers” and stumbled upon some interesting information.  Read about it here. [...]

]]> By: Tea in England | Teatime in the Garden (Centre) http://www.word-detective.com/2009/09/green-thumb/comment-page-1/#comment-42428 Tea in England | Teatime in the Garden (Centre) Thu, 16 Aug 2012 14:34:16 +0000 http://www.word-detective.com/?p=1711#comment-42428 [...] know why British gardeners get five fingers and American gardeners only get a thumb, but The Word Detective thinks he knows.) Anyway, I’m no gardener (I can kill a silk plant. Can you?), but folks here [...] [...] know why British gardeners get five fingers and American gardeners only get a thumb, but The Word Detective thinks he knows.) Anyway, I’m no gardener (I can kill a silk plant. Can you?), but folks here [...]

]]> By: Yael http://www.word-detective.com/2009/09/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/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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