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lift a finger (English)

Etymology

Compare 1769, Oxford Standard text, s:Bible_(King_James)|King_James_Bible, s:Bible_(King_James)/Matthew|Matthew, xxiii, 3 — For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

Verb

- finger

* 2010, Katharine Rapoport, Violin For Dummies,

*: So if your next note involves lifting a finger, you need to plan to lift the finger promptly to above its spot on the string so that it's ready to play again at any time.

To make minimal effort; to help as little as possible.

* 1973, Kenya National Assembly Official Record (Hansard): June 12 - July 27, page 904,

*: They weep when they see the country being so much exploited and yet nobody lifts a finger.

* - page=6|author=Gerald Shapiro|year=2004|passage=You've known about it all along, you haven't lifted a finger, so don't come crying to me. I don't have time for it.

* 2005, Larry T. McGehee, B. J. Hutto, Southern Seen: Meditations on Past and Present, page 80,

*: Lifting a finger to greet is dangerous because it may make us feel guilty about not lifting a finger to help.

Usage notes

Most often used in the negative.

Translations

to make minimal effort

Franska - lever le petit doigt

German - de|Finger krumm machen

Japanska - 指一本動かす

Latin - profero digitum|alt=prōferō digitum

Russian - ru|ударить пальцем о палец|tr=udáritʹ pálʹcem o pálec|sc=Cyrl, ударить палец о палец

Fullständig information på

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/lift a finger