We young fellows, as a rule, are never quite at ease unless we have our hands in our pockets.
 Jerome K. Jerome, Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow (1886). copy citation

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Author Jerome K. Jerome
Source Idle Thoughts of an Idle Fellow
Topic ease rules
Date 1886
Language English
Reference
Note
Weblink http://www.gutenberg.org/files/849/849-h/849-h.htm

Context

“, but how, O ye sticklers for what looks this and what looks that, can putting his hands in his own pockets make a man less gentle? Perhaps you are right, though. Now I come to think of it, I have heard some people grumble most savagely when doing it. But they were mostly old gentlemen. We young fellows, as a rule, are never quite at ease unless we have our hands in our pockets. We are awkward and shifty. We are like what a music-hall Lion Comique would be without his opera-hat, if such a thing can be imagined. But let us put our hands in our trousers pockets, and let there be some small change in the right-hand one and a bunch of keys in the left, and we will face a female post-office clerk.” source