touch wood
Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary
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[edit] English
[edit] Interjection
- (idiomatic, British) hopefully (said while touching something wooden, for superstition)
- And the reds are going to avoid relegation this year, touch wood
[edit] Usage notes
As this expression has superstitious or pre-Christian origins it is usual physically to touch something wooden whilst exclaiming "touch wood", or shortly afterwards, in order to benefit from the resulting good luck. If the object touched transpires actually to be laminate or some other such non-wooden material then this may result in a scramble to find some real wood, which may be perceived as ominous.
[edit] Synonyms
- knock on wood (US)
