Avere il pollice verde

Common Italian expression

LiterallyTo have a green thumb
MeaningTo have a way with plants, to be good at gardening
IPA pronunciation/aˈvɛːre il ˈpɔllit͡ʃe ˈvɛrde/

Avere il pollice verde
To have green fingers

Examples

Non ho assolutamente il pollice verde: tutte le mie piante muoiono!
I have absolutely no green fingers: all my plants die!

Michela ha il pollice verde e il suo giardino è pieno di bellissimi fiori.
Michela has green fingers and her garden is full of beautiful flowers.

Where does this idiom come from?

When you touch a plant with no gloves on, your fingers will turn green. It is also thought that there are some gardeners who hold plants between their thumb and forefinger, causing the plant to release chlorophyll and staining their thumb.

woman tending to a few plants

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