knock on wood

WOTD - 13 December 2006    

Wikipedia

English

Pronunciation

• (RP): IPA: /ˈnɒk ɒn ˈwʊd/
• (US): IPA: /ˈnɑk ɑn ˈwʊd/, /ˈnɔk ɔn ˈwʊd/, /ˈnak ɑn ˈwʊd/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Verb

to knock on wood

1. (idiomatic, US) To take a customary action to ward off some misfortune that is believed to be attracted by a presumptuous statement.
2. (idiomatic, US) A self-directive to undertake the customary action to ward off bad luck.

   I do a lot of walking, and I have never had any knee problems yet, knock on wood.

See also

• touch wood (UK)

Translations

Translations

Croatian: kucnuti u drvo Dutch: hout vasthouden Finnish: koputtaa puuta (fi) French: toucher du bois Persian: بزن به تخته (bezan be taxta)

Russian: постучать по дереву (postučát’ po dérevu) Spanish: tocar madera (es) Swedish: peppar, peppar, ta i trä (pepper, pepper, grip wood), peppar peppar Turkish: tahtaya vur (tr)