   Around Your Elbow to Get to Your ThumbIn Appalachian and Southern speech, "around your elbow to get to your thumb" means taking an unnecessarily long or complicated way to do something simple. It’s a colorful folksy critique of inefficiency. Hillbilly Dude Says...  I'd say ‘around his elbow to get to his thumb' is more regional and old timers. Not sure I've ever heard this one in real life. Pronunciation[uh-ROUND yer EL-bow tuh GIT tuh yer THUM] Meaning & Usage- Doing something the long or complicated way (idiom / humorous)
Mae:
Why’d he take three hours for a ten-minute job?
Earl:
He went around his elbow to get to his thumb.other spellings: around your elbow to get to your ear, going the long way, and taking the roundabout route ★ This expression pokes fun at someone who makes a simple task unnecessarily hard. Other regional versions use "ear" or "nose" instead of "thumb," but the meaning is the same. ★ OriginDocumented in Southern and Appalachian folklore and humor collections. Likely derived from earlier English expressions about taking a roundabout path to reach a point on the body. Strongly associated with farm and small-town storytelling. NotesStill heard among older Southerners and in Appalachian storytelling. Outside the region it’s rare but understandable from context. Say It Like a SouthernerSaid plain: "around your elbow to get to your thumb" - sometimes "around his elbow" or "around your elbow to get to your ear." | About We are a growing field guide to culture, speech, memory, and meaning - rooted in Appalachia, but wide as the world. Read more... |
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