Dirty Fingernails...and The End of The World

[wordtothewise]

I am looking for a sci-fi short story from an anthology of short stories, paperback. It was published in the 60's about a guy, the lead character having dirty fingernails; and because of this, somehow, it ended up causing the end of the world.

I threw out the tattered book decades ago; and now I am writing a story and I can't remember anything else about it.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[SallyC]

Vague possibility - The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag by Heinlein?
I don't have this in my collection, so I can't double check.

 

[wordtothewise]

Just checked Heinlein

Thanks, but after checking that out...it wasn't it. I do remember having this particular anthology though. It brought back some pleasant memories of my misspent youth, filling my head with science fiction fantasy's all over again.