WITH A WET FINGER, phr. (old).—Easily, readily: as easy as turning over the leaf of a book, or rubbing out writing on a slate.
1561. The Burnynge of Paule’s Church. There is to manye suche, though ye laugh, and beleve it not, and not hard to shewe them WITH A WET FINGER.
1593. G. HARVEY, Pierce’s Supererogation [GROSART, Works, ii. 32]. I hate brawles with my hart: and can turne-ouer A volume of wronges WITH A WETT FINGER.
1602. DEKKER, The Honest Whore iii. 2 [DODSLEY, Old Plays (REED), iii. 255]. If ever I stand in need of a wench that will come WITH A WET FINGER, Porter, thou shalt earn my money. Ibid. (1609), Guls Horne-Booke [NOTT], 160. What gentlewomen or citizen’s wives you can WITH A WET FINGER have at any time to sup with you.
1612. BEAUMONT and FLETCHER, Cupid’s Revenge, iv. 3.
| Take a good heart, man! all the low ward is ours, | |
| WITH A WET FINGER. |
1630. TAYLOR (‘The Water Poet’), Workes, ‘A Whore.’
| As Bookes are leafe by leafe oft turn’d and tost, | |
| So are the Garments of a Whore (almost:) | |
| For both of them, WITH A WET FINGER may | |
| Be folded or vnfolded, night or day. |
Also in proverbial wheeze (amongst children), ‘See my finger WET (licking the finger), see my finger dry (wiping it dry), I’ll cut my throat (drawing finger across throat) before I tell a lie’ (a strong assurance of veracity).
