E. Cobham Brewer 1810–1897. Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 1898.
Butter-fingers.
Said of a person who lets things fall out of his hand. His fingers are slippery, and things slip from them as if they were greased with butter. Often heard on the cricket field.
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“I never was a butter-fingers, though a bad batter.”—H. Kingsley.
