sticky fingers

plural noun

, Informal.

1. a propensity to steal.

Other Words From

• stick·y-fin·gered [stik, -ee-, fing, -gerd], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of sticky fingers¹

First recorded in 1930–35

Idioms and Phrases

A propensity to steal, as in You'd better not leave any cash around; she's known for her sticky fingers . This metaphor makes it seem as if valuables adhere naturally to a thief's fingers. [ Colloquial ; late 1800s]

Example Sentences

Dubbed operation “Sticky Fingers,” a multi-agency investigation resulted in the arrest of 22 suspects alleged to have burglarized more than a dozen cannabis dispensaries in California.

From Los Angeles Times

Dubbed operation “Sticky Fingers,” a multi-agency investigation resulted in the arrest of 22 suspects alleged to have burglarized more than a dozen cannabis dispensaries in California.

From Los Angeles Times

Investigators then reached out to the California State Attorney Generals’ Office to request assistance in investigating the thefts, dubbed operation “Sticky Fingers.”

From Los Angeles Times

A few years later, Warhol used it for the Rolling Stones’ LP “Sticky Fingers.”

From Los Angeles Times

One fuzzy blink after another — and always just an inch from the grasp of sticky fingers — the lightning bugs begin to fill the air.

From Salon