# pull one's finger out

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/pull-ones-finger-out
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To stop wasting time in preliminaries, and concentrate on the important task.

## Examples

- You need to pull your finger out and finish this work.
- He pulls his finger out whenever the boss walks into the room.
- If you want to pass the exam, you need to pull your finger out and start studying today.
- The kitchen staff had to pull their fingers out when a bus full of hungry tourists arrived unexpectedly for lunch.
- We really need to pull our fingers out and book the flights before the prices go up again next week.
- The manager warned the team that they must pull their fingers out if they hope to meet the project deadline before the end of the month.

## Origin

Probably a clipping of the more visceral instruction to pull one’s finger out of one’s arse, the phrase suggests an individual who has been idling when they ought to have been working. The exact origins remain unproven, though the idiom is frequently linked to the notion that one should not sit on one’s hands. It serves as a concise, if somewhat indelicate, request for a sudden increase in physical or professional momentum. (disputed)

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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.