I bought a pair of Chinese thumb cuffs from the market.

I got stuck in a Chinese thumb cuff.

She twirls her thumbs when she's nervous.

He likes to bite his thumb when he's nervous.

She was twiddling her thumbs while waiting for the bus.

She twiddled her thumbs while waiting for the bus.

He twiddles his thumbs while waiting for the bus.

Hop-o'-my-thumb is a term used to describe someone who is small in stature but clever and resourceful.

The hop-o'-my-thumbs were excited to go on their adventure.

He didn't have any evidence to support his claim, so he just sucked it out of his thumb.