# fat finger

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/fat-finger
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A supposed cause of typographical errors, especially keyboard errors, caused from erroneous key presses or typing errors on touchscreen devices.

## Examples

- I made a fat finger error and sent the wrong message.
- Be careful not to fat finger the wrong number on your phone.
- I meant to type five dollars, but a fat finger mistake made it fifty instead.
- I accidentally fat fingered the delete button while I was trying to save my progress on the report.
- The customer service agent apologized for the fat finger typo that listed my address in the wrong city.
- The trader blamed a fat finger for the accidental order that caused a brief fluctuation in the stock market.

## Origin

The term arises from the mechanical difficulty of using a finger of excessive girth to strike a single key. The physical width of the digit causes it to overlap onto adjacent buttons, resulting in the accidental input of unintended characters. While the visual image suggests a specific anatomical cause, the expression has persisted as a general shorthand for any such clerical error committed during typing.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.