Scotch, Thummle, originally “Thumb-bell,” because it was worn on the thumb, as sailors still wear their thimbles. It is a Dutch invention, introduced into England in 1695 by John Lofting, who opened a thimble manufactory at Islington.
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Entry taken from Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, edited by the Rev. E. Cobham Brewer, LL.D. and revised in 1895.
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