What it means
A klutz is someone who's hopelessly clumsy, always dropping stuff, walking into things, or turning a simple task into a tiny slapstick event. It's usually a teasing word, not a vicious one, the kind you toss at a mate who's managed to spill a drink and miss the chair in the same five seconds.
Usage examples
"I’ve spilt my brew, whacked my head on the cupboard, and pinged my keys into the cat’s water bowl. It’s not even 9am. Total klutz."
"I am such a klutz, I managed to knock over my coffee, my water and somehow the plant, all before nine in the morning."
"Only you could drop your chips, step on your sunglasses, then apologise to the lamppost. Absolute klutz."
"Jess tried to carry three coffees and a muffin, tripped on nothing, and still looked surprised. Such a klutz."
"Don’t let Ben carry the glasses over, he’s a total klutz and we’ll be drinking off the carpet in ten seconds."
Where it comes from
Klutz came into English through Yiddish, from klots, a word meaning a block of wood. The jump makes sense really: somebody stiff, awkward, a bit all elbows. It took root in American English first, then spread wider as a teasing everyday label for a person who keeps turning simple movement into accidental comedy.
Other ways to say it
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