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THE IDIOM COLLECTION LEARN & PRACTISE

Have a finger in every pie

Understand the meaning. See it in context. Make it yours.

01 / UNDERSTAND

Meaning in plain English

Be involved in and influence many different activities.

02 / SEE IT IN CONTEXT

The expression in a sentence

  1. Our chair has a finger in every pie, from choosing posters to approving refreshments.

03 / CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING

Quick idiom quiz

Try the question without looking back, then write a sentence of your own. You can retry as often as you like.

Can you recall the expression?

Which expression from this lesson matches this meaning?

Be involved in and influence many different activities.
Show the answer

Have a finger in every pie — Be involved in and influence many different activities.

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Make it yours

Write one sentence using “Have a finger in every pie” about your own life.

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Does your sentence match this meaning?

Be involved in and influence many different activities.

Compare: Our chair has a finger in every pie, from choosing posters to approving refreshments.

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More ways to understand and use it

When to use it

Use this conversational expression about someone involved in many projects or decisions. It often suggests disapproval of excessive interference, rather than simple praise for being busy.

More examples in context

  • Dev likes to have a finger in every pie instead of trusting the teams to decide.
  • She seems to have a finger in every pie at the club.

Usage note

Keep singular “a finger” and “every pie”. It concerns involvement and influence across activities; having many unrelated chores is not quite the same idea.

A short conversation

A: Who needs to approve the programme?
B: Ask Joel. He has a finger in every pie around here.
A: I hope he can give us a quick answer.

One more practice question

Who has a finger in every pie?

A. A person who influences decisions across nearly all the club’s projects.
B. A person who has no involvement in any club activity.

Check your answer

A. Wide involvement and influence are central to this expression.

Related lessons

Meaning and usage checked against Cambridge Dictionary. Explanations, examples and conversation are original.

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