Toe thumb people of the world, unite!
Did you know there is a phenomenon commonly called "toe thumbs"? Neither did I before I met my wife, Kari. Apparently one in every thousand people out there, mostly girls, have thumbs that resemble the big toe of a foot. Some have two toe thumbs, others have just one. I find all this fascinating. Especially because most people out there with toe thumbs, don't know they're part of a large group of people.
With Kari I didn't really take much notice in the beginning, except thinking her thumbs were a bit short and stubby. She's a pretty confident person, and she openly joked about her funny thumbs, but she also always hid them when I took a picture.
Kari told me she had met three other girls with the same kind of thumbs, and that was surprising and uplifting to know there are other toe thumb people out there. This was obviously something I had to look up on the internet. And not surprisingly I found plenty of other people wondering about this phenomenon. Here is what I've found:
The medical term for toe thumbs, is Brachydactyly, type D (BDD for short). Brachydactyly is greek for "shortness of fingers or toes". It is an inheritable syndrome, and type D relates specifically to excessively shortened tubular bones in the thumbs. It also goes under a number of other names, some less flattering than others:
While googling around, I also found a facebook group, a flickr group and long forum thread with people discussing the phenomenon. Don't you just love internet?! Sadly some people are not happy with their thumbs, and only interested in finding out if they can be remedied somehow. But on the bright side, most people seem really happy to find out they're not alone, exclaiming things like "My brothers and sisters! I've been looking for you all my life!".
I especially love that some people share their stories. Like this one girl whose boyfriend called her "Turtles", because each time someone looked at her thumbs she would hide them inside her hands. Just like a turtle hiding its head inside its shell. Another person commented the same thing Kari and I have experienced for years. That her thumbs are perfect when a conversation gets awkwardly quiet. We just say "Have you seen Kari's toe thumbs?!".
I hope this entry can help some more toe thumb people find each other!
Toe thumb people of the world, Unite!
With Kari I didn't really take much notice in the beginning, except thinking her thumbs were a bit short and stubby. She's a pretty confident person, and she openly joked about her funny thumbs, but she also always hid them when I took a picture.
Kari told me she had met three other girls with the same kind of thumbs, and that was surprising and uplifting to know there are other toe thumb people out there. This was obviously something I had to look up on the internet. And not surprisingly I found plenty of other people wondering about this phenomenon. Here is what I've found:
The medical term for toe thumbs, is Brachydactyly, type D (BDD for short). Brachydactyly is greek for "shortness of fingers or toes". It is an inheritable syndrome, and type D relates specifically to excessively shortened tubular bones in the thumbs. It also goes under a number of other names, some less flattering than others:
- stub thumb
- club or clubbed thumb
- potter's thumb
- hammerhead thumb
- murderer's thumb
While googling around, I also found a facebook group, a flickr group and long forum thread with people discussing the phenomenon. Don't you just love internet?! Sadly some people are not happy with their thumbs, and only interested in finding out if they can be remedied somehow. But on the bright side, most people seem really happy to find out they're not alone, exclaiming things like "My brothers and sisters! I've been looking for you all my life!".
I especially love that some people share their stories. Like this one girl whose boyfriend called her "Turtles", because each time someone looked at her thumbs she would hide them inside her hands. Just like a turtle hiding its head inside its shell. Another person commented the same thing Kari and I have experienced for years. That her thumbs are perfect when a conversation gets awkwardly quiet. We just say "Have you seen Kari's toe thumbs?!".
I hope this entry can help some more toe thumb people find each other!
Toe thumb people of the world, Unite!
53 Comments:
I'm 62 years old, both thumbs are "toe thumbs." I hate my thumbs. When my children were born, the 1st thing I did was look at their thumbs. My children do not have my thumbs. I think 2 of my grandson's have my thumbs. You can't tell for sure until they are older. My mother has toe thumbs. No other sibling of my mother or myself has toe thumbs. My mother had an Uncle with toe thumbs. Your info on toe thumbs was very helpful to me. Linda
Both of my thumbs are toe thumbs. I grew up trying to hide my thumbs. My sister used to squeeze them to make them "normal," but of course that did not work. I never new anyone else with thumbs like mine until I was an adult. I don't know of any relatives or ancesters with them. I wonder if toe thumbs are linked to any other specific syndrome or birth defect. Susan
I, too, have a set of toe thumbs. However, unlike most people, I have always been proud of them! I'm known for powerful back massages and great ideas. (i raise my thumb in the air as a light bulb when these ideas come.) Ironically, i am the champion at thumb wrestling. No one can pin them because they're so short so they stretch their thumbs over and I pin them.
My friends think they're cute, at least that's what they tell me. Hey, Megan Fox (lead woman roll in the newer Transformers movie) has them too!
I throughly enjoyed your blog exploring the more technical side of these terminal members of my hand. Thanks Ramon.
-Kristin
I too have a toe thumb!I've been hiding all my life. I don not have any relatives immediate or distant that share this unique trademark. I sometimes wonder if my mother may have taken so medicine while she was pg with me to cause this. Any thoughts? Also, Anne Heche, actress, has 2 toe thumbs.
i have these and never once have i considered hiding them. i draw for a living, so they are certainly not a hinderance! the only thing i can't do is make a good señor wences-style thumb puppet. sigh.
www.thumbtastic.blogspot.com
I have toe thumbs and my dad has toe thumbs and I have 2 sisters with both toe thumbs and one sister with only one toe thumb. We have learned how to love our toe thumbs.
I have toe thumbs, my cousin has them, my great grandfather had them and guess what my new roommate has them its so cool! I read on some forums people saying its a turn off. .. well i have guy friends that love them and show them to everyone when I am around. its so cool to talk about! :)
One of my brothers and I have clubbed thumbs and one of my sisters has only one. It is said that they are considered royal. My Granny says that we are related to Sir Robert the Bruce (see Braveheart) so maybe it is true. Who knows.
Also, I have four kids and my brother has four kids and none of our children have our thumbs. It is the first thing we check after they are born and we have been disappointed all eight times. I would love to have a child with my thumbs!
Came across your blog mention of toe thumbs after a nurse yesterday commented on mine. I grew up thinking everyone else's thumbs looked funny and weak - like an extra finger in the wrong place. I can crack walnuts with mine ;-) Anyway - only once in my life did I see someone with matching thumbs, but was afraid to stop her and say "So glad to see someone else with normal thumbs!" Too young back then, I guess; pushing 60 now, and wouldn't hesitate to speak up these days. Thanks, Ramon!
I have a matched set of Hammerheads.
As a youngster I would practive "Thumb Fu" to ward off hecklers. I also passed around a rumor I could do pushups with them. I could win thumb wrestling matches just from intimidation. Plus the women love them ;)
I have no idea why it took me this long to explore an explanation for my thumbs... I am 36 and Yes I have toe thumbs... there I said it! I'm fine with it though. Before today I never knew it was an actual medical anomaly. I always joked and told people I had toe grafts or that they were genetically advanced for thumb wrestling. If you can't have the thumbs you love, love the thumbs you have. Its funny, I read one of the other comments and they mentioned that they were an artist, So am I (http://chmbrown.com/) My niece has my thumbs and she loves art as well and my brother and I say its the mark of an artist.
Chris
Cool to find Kari's pictures on the first google image site as I looked for brachydyctyly. A former colleague told me once there was a name for my toe-like thumbs, I never new before I was 25 there was a name for this and it was some genetic mistake. They don't feel like a mistake, I've always been extremely handy and able to make miniature art and crack walnuts as well! I've only met another toe-tumb once. Now I'm pregnant I was wondering if I could give them to my child as well and if there's a connection with other genetic stuff, like dwarfs, but I don't think so. I've never been ashamed of it, having these weird thumbs always made me feel special!
Eva, the Netherlands
I am a double toe thumber!! I have always been embarrassed by them. I also "hide" them when getting my photo taken! Mine seem to be very sensitive on the ends and my nail beds. Does anyone else notice sensitivity? I am happy to have found this blog! Thank you!
I have toe thumbs as well! I've never been ashamed by them or anything though. I think that "regular" thumbs look weird. Like a tall but fat finger.
I'm an artist too. Figured I would mention it since several other people did. :) I'm curious if any famous artists had toe thumbs.
I only know of one other person with toe thumbs, and she's my cousin. I'm 18 and she's 16...I think?
I have two toe thumbs, i did not know that it was a real thing until i looked it up on the internet one day while i was bored. My friend called them toe thumbs and the name went around to the rest of my thumbs. I am in highschool and it is not fun to live with them. My friends laugh at them, and it really hurts my feelings. I often hide them within my hands. I try to act like it doesn't hurt my feelings, but it does. My thumbs are a part of me, and when peole laugh it is like they are laughing at me, instead of just a part of me. -Em
I have 1 toe thumb, and as a previous blogger stated, I would do everything to hide it. I was ashamed and didnt even know why. It's different and for whatever reason seemed to "stick out like a sore thumb" haha! demanding it own attention. Looking back, I wish I had the confidence to say "Yeah, it's different, it's mine and I embrace it."
I too also wonder if my Mom while pregnant with me, had been exposed to some kind of harmful chemical resulting in this situation.
Bella
I have two to thumbs. I always knew of at least one other person who had them--my mother's cousin--so I always thought it was a genetic thing, but didn't know the specific name for it. I've never been bothered by them, even when people would point them out. One thing I do, though, is check out other people's thumbs to see if they also have toe thumbs. To date, I know six other people who have them. I secretly hope that when I have children, one of them has toe thumbs!
My brother said hospital folks at his work call them "thoes". I was Thumbelina as a child. I've never seen anyone else's toe thumbs till now! My mom used to tell me to say they are a sign of intelligence when someone makes fun of them. She took DES while pregnant with me.....
Also my toe thumb nails make killer staple removers!!
What is DES? What is the medicine your mother took while pregnant with you?
I am 13 and I have toe thumbs, I never really thought about hiding them, or anything, they're just a part of me and who I am, I like them because they make me unique! There's a guy in one of my classes that makes me show them to him every day! I always wanted to look them up and now I finally did! I'm happy to see that there's more of us out there!!! We should unite!!!
-Lexee
My beautiful daughter has toe-thumbs, but we lovingly call them
"tumbs".
Her other fingers are long and slender.
Did you know that actress Kali Rocha has tumbs, too?
awesome to se more people with this cool finger.
until today i belived it was a genetic thing just in my family or somthing, but ofcourse all toe thumb's could be connected. my dad has two, my cousin has one, and
i have to of them. i always felt special, but somthimes a bit ashamed when people point i out,but i ussually answers that it makes me an awesome bassgitar player. i can really hammer on:P
weird to see other tumbs like mine, like you all stole my identity or somthing.
by the way, i read some more and i would really like to hear some response to the project gutenberg.
(and yes, it is hand reading)
it describes the caracteristichs of different fingers and espessially thumbs. i found the desciption of personality to be quite right! scary.
might be a bit nerdy but i guess all of us have more than usual interest in hands.
enjoy, i did.
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/20480/20480-h/20480-h.htm
and yes, we should unite!
i have toe thumbs as well!!! they usually dont even get noticed unless i mention them, im ok with them :). i had a friend in high school tell me they were like that because i sucked on them too much when i was a baby!! i also didnt know this had an actual name and i am glad to see there is alot more other ppl out there with them. my mom, uncle and was told my greatgrandma had them too!!
OMG! That is too funny...I am the gal who posted the "turtle story" way back when on the Angeleno page!
Incredibly enough what I left out of that story was, I went on in life to become a Sign Language Interpreter for the Deaf. I had to use my hands all the time and they were in the public eye! You should see the Sign for turtle...it happens to be one of my favorite signs.
http://www.lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-signs/t/turtle.htm
Thums up everyon!
Love & Light,
Tee
woops I meant to say " I had to use my hands all the time and they (my thumbs that is) were in the public eye!"
Also of course I meant to say...
Thumbs up everyone!!! ;-)
Love & Light,
Tee
Hey Tee!
I found your story adorable, and I've told it to so many people (in addition to sharing it with the entire world through my blog that is). You becoming an interpreter for the deaf makes it even more fantastic.
I just had my wife do the turtle and had plenty of laughs with it.
Thanks for sharing!
Ramón
I knew others out there had the same condition. But I had no idea it was so common. I have always thought toe thumbs were a good thing. Instant conversation starter, potential toe replacement (or thumb replacement) How many can say they are born with their own inter-changeable body parts? Oh yeah - 1-1000. lol
Oh my goodness, I thought i was the only one with Toe Thumbs!!!! I also have two of them, and i have no other relatives with them, though i have a sneaking suspicion that my daughter has them aswell, hard to tell, all of her fingers are short and fat!! wow, I am just amazed that this is not such an uncommon thing after all!!
Belinda
I am so excited to see that I am not the only one! My boyfriend calls them stubs-have never heard the term toe thumbs and I don't really like that. I too have always hidden them in pictures. (A hard feat when you are holding a diploma I recently realized.)
I always thought that this was just a birth defect (although I guess it still could be) because I also have underdeveloped ears and double jointed fingers. Anyone else the same? My mom had to take some medicine so I wasn't born early that I think caused my barely-noticeable ear problem and I figured, could of caused the thumb issue as well. I have tried to look up a name for my ears (they are sealed at the top) and have failed but never thought to look up my thumbs. Interested to see that there is a name for them.
For research's sake: I am very creative, short, and have very small hands...heard some others on another site have small hands too. Don't you just love the internet-yay for not being alone!
Hey Stubs. Glad you found my blog. My wife also has one ear that is sealed at the top. What medicine did your mother take?
So apparently Megan Fox has toe thumbs too ahahah check out reddit.com for megan fox toe thumb
I'm glad you wrote this. I had no idea there were groups and if it werent for the revelation of megan foxes toe thumbs i would probably still feel like i was alone with my stubs.
Actually this is nothing more than a normal hereditary trait. You've heard of dominant and recessive traits .. ie brown eyes are dominant, blue eyes are recessive ? Well, believe it or not, club thumb is a DOMINANT trait and normal thumbs are a RECESSIVE trait !
This trait is known as Brachydactyly type D or "BDD".
It's no different than having attached earlobes as opposed to hanging earlobes or a bigger 2nd toe as opposed to a toe shorter than the big toe. It all has to do with something called Alleles.
In genetics you have usually 4 combinations of Alleles...for example... A a so if one parent is AA and the other is aa their offspring can be AA Aa Aa or aa. AA is dominant for the trait and called HOMOZYGOUS, Aa is also dominant but called HETEROZYGOUS and aa is recessive HOMOZYGOUS.
There is almost always going to be at least one offspring that has the recessive trait and the rest will all show the dominant trait.
I am a 36-year-old mother of four. I have toe thumbs and 3 of my 4 children have them, too. I have met about half a dozen non-related people in my life who also have them. My best friend in high school had them. But I never heard that 1 in 1000 people have them until I read this web site. I,too, have always thought they were fun and a good conversation piece. Some people are double jointed, some can make funny noises with body parts, some can do funny tongue tricks, but I have toe thumbs! I've even tried to convince people that I had a surgery when I was young and the doctors had to use my big toes to replace my thumbs. Some people totally buy into it, but others figure me out when they ask how I still have all of my toes.
I have 2 toe thumbs, and my daughter has 1...does that mean she can only come to half of the meetings??? ;-}
I had no idea that my thumbs were so common. I've always called them hammer head thumbs. I never hid my thumbs, I didn't see any reason to. My mom has always teased me asking me how I can do anything with them, and I just tell her the same way you do. It's all I've ever known. LOl You all are right, it's a great convo starter and I'm good natured about it. It normally starts a convo about what other kind of "freaky" things everyone else has, a 3rd nipple, being double jointed, etc. I, too, had noticed that Megan Fox has these thumbs and I about peed my pants when I saw her thumbs in Transformers!!! My mom's birth mother has these thumbs, so I've been told. I know they are inherited, but I don't know that I have noticed them on anyone else.
I don't have any issues using them with anything, except with crocheting or knitting. A thinner, longer thumb sure would come in handy! I had no idea there were groups for it! I'm gonna go a searching now!
Thank you so much for the information. I have only seen 3 other people with the same thumbs that I have. I think my thumbs are awesome... however, I do not have any known family members with these thumbs. Mine just were hidden, I guess. Thanks again!!!
Lauren Meyers
My husband is 47 and has 2 toe thumbs. I have always thought they were cute. His mom and sister also have 2. We have 3 children and 8 grandchildren none of which have them. My husband and his mother's toes (all of them) are short and stumpy. He is not artistic, but his mother somewhat is. Thanks for the posting's it's great to know there are others.
only one of my toes is a toe thumb! my friend just showed me this site, im hella stoked, this is sick, my thumbs look ridiculous bcause one is normal and the other is not. It is a great convo topic
My daughter just sent me this link. I knew there were others out there because anyone that knows about my thumbs are quick to tell me they saw someone else with them! I always told people it meant a higher intelligence! None of my children have them but I have a cousin with one. She was a thumb sucker and I always thought that was why that thumb wasn't a toe thumb!
My two thumbs are "toe thumbs", and though I'm still fairly self-conscious about them, it's not as bad as it used to be. Growing up I'd get funny looks and questions as to why they looked the way they look (which at the time I didn't know), and even the occasional ignorant comment like "that's what you get for sucking your thumbs" (I never sucked on any thumb of finger in my life).
Other than my grandmother on my dad's side, I think I'm the only one with these thumbs.
They're not the prettiest-looking, but oh well, I'd rather have them than no thumbs at all ;) Besides, I need them to draw!
im 15 years old and i have toe thumbs :p people call me, toe thumbs, megan fox's relative, stubs and TUM. i think its hilarious. i never knew i was different. [: nobody in my family has these thumbs. my ex boyfriend used to call me turtle too :D this world is really small and ironic. [:
I am a 42 year old woman who also has "toe thumbs" on both hands. I have been embarassed and ashamed all of my life. It has been a bit of a birth defect to me. I have always hidden them, as well. I have four children-none of which got them. It was the first thing I checked for. I recently had my first grandchild-a granddaughter. She is gorgeous, but has them. They are cute in infants, but not as you grow. I am grateful to see there are so many others out there, although I have met very few. I always felt like such a freak so now I at least feel like it isn't such a bad thing. Thank you.
Hi!!! Im from Ecuador, and I have two toe thumbs. I didnt know, till today, that we were so amny people!!! All my life I had to take every kind of mocks about my thumbs ... and it was really sad. Those people made me hate my thumbs... but now i feel like they are special. My girlfriend call them "turtles"... haha... she says she loves them and tells me that i should not hide them. Im trying to stop hidding them but it is hard. Im very glad to red all these comments... two thumbs up !!!
I have toe thumbs and I have always loved them. I've never hated them. In fact, I've always been sort of proud of them. Other people find them hilarious. They make me unique. I never thought of them as a deformity but i never realized how many other people have them too.
I'm 49 years old and only just now finding out there are so many others like me out there. I have one toe thumb which I inherited from my fathers side of the family. His brother has two toe thumbs. Out of 5 children I'm the only one with the toe thumb. I have hidden it all my life and I do it without thinking, just tuck it under under my palm. My sons where well into there teens before my youngest noticed my thumb. He asked if I had injured it and I said no, I was born with this. Both where shocked they never noticed it before. I have a grand-daughter who strongly resembles me and my son, and I must admit I was disappointed she didnt have my thumb. lol.
Aside from my uncle, I have never met anyone else with this, unless they hide it well, the way I did.
Now I think, Thumbs Up to everyone.
Im 32 male and have toe thumbs. This is just to funny.
1m 12 turning 13 only on one hand i have a toe thumb im okay of people looking at it but my friend always laughs at it but its okay cause 2 more other people have the same thumb as me so does my brother does it mean we are special in a way like you know we are very talented and im funny as well my friensds tell me that
1m 12 turning 13 only on one hand i have a toe thumb im okay of people looking at it but my friend always laughs at it but its okay cause 2 more other people have the same thumb as me so does my brother does it mean we are special in a way like you know we are very talented and im funny as well my friensds tell me that
I too have "hammer head thumbs" (no one has thrown that name out there yet!) As much as they are a little strange, I'd like to think of them as "unique". And can definitely attest to the fact that it serves as a great conversation starter. Sure they get some stairs here and there, but hey- it could be worse! Someone once told me that these "toe thumbs" will be more predominant in the next 10-15 years...we're not alone!
But they won't be as cool then :)
Megan Fox has them as well!
ps do you think wearing a ring on it makes it worse or better?
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