green thumb

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green thumb (plural green thumbs)

1. (US, idiomatic) A natural skill for gardening.
   • 1987, Lyall Watson, The dreams of dragons: riddles of natural history‎:

     Everyone knows someone who has a "green thumb," who seems to be able to get plants to grow well just by being around, by talking or even playing music...

   • 2003, Barbara Damrosch, The Garden Primer:

     ...they leave gardening to those who presumably have lots of time to read and better yet, have a "green thumb."

   • 2006, Des Kennedy, The Passionate Gardener: Adventures of an Ardent Green Thumb‎:

     Oh, I'll never have a green thumb, no matter how long I stay at it. Nothing ever seems to work for me. Everything I plant dies.

2. (US) A person with this skill.

   I should ask the green thumb next door what she recommends for my droopy daffodils.

• Chiefly used in the form "have a green thumb"
• In UK English the corresponding expression is to describe someone as 'having green fingers' or 'being green-fingered'.

• (skill): green fingers

• brown thumb
• http://www.walterreeves.com/gardening-q-and-a/green-thumb-origin-of-phrase/