Meaning of butterfingers | Babel Free

Definitions

1. Someone who tends to drop things; (more generally) someone who is clumsy or uncoordinated; a klutz.
   idiomatic, informal
2. One's fingers which tend to drop things, or are clumsy or uncoordinated.
   idiomatic, informal
3. A tendency to drop things, or to be clumsy or uncoordinated.
   idiomatic, informal

Equivalents

Examples

“I am such a butterfingers. That’s the third drink I’ve spilled today.”

“[A]t every bad attempt at a catch, and every failure to stop the ball, he launched his personal displeasure at the head of the devoted individual in such denunciations as—"Ah, ah!—stupid"—"Now butter-fingers"—"Muff"—"Humbug"—and so forth—ejaculations which seemed to establish him in the opinion of all around, as a most excellent and undeniable judge of the whole art and mystery of the noble game of cricket.”

““[…] Please don't handle them [birds’ eggs], Me! They are very fragile, and I would’nt^([sic – meaning wouldn’t]) lose them for anything.” / “I must hold them—just this once,” persists Me. “Don’t think I shall be such a butter[-]fingers as to break them. I’ve handled heaps of eggs before these!””

““I guess everyone’s got butterfingers around here,” Cole said with a sly smile. “Lucky for us, I’ve got fast reflexes.””

““That boy’s got butterfingers,” Connor went on. “That’s twice he’s dropped a tool. He’s got no place on a construction site.””

CEFR level