cross one's fingers

English

Etymology

• As a gesture of good luck, from the Christian notion of inconspicuously making a sign of the cross as an invocation to God.
• As a gesture of lying, probably from the Schwurhand, a gesture used in some European countries when taking an oath. The right hand is raised with the index and middle fingers extended upwards (somewhat similarly to a V sign but with the thumb on the side). By crossing the two fingers, the oath is thus symbolically broken.

Verb

cross one's fingers (third-person singular simple present crosses one's fingers, present participle crossing one's fingers, simple past and past participle crossed one's fingers)

1. To put the middle finger across the index finger, especially:

   She was seen crossing her fingers in the wedding photo.

   1. when wishing for luck, or

      I hope everything turns out OK. I'll cross my fingers for you. / I'll cross my fingers that everything turns out OK.

      • 2011, Jayne Addison, About That Kiss‎^[1], →ISBN:

        “Cross your fingers that the readership loves it.” Joy crossed her fingers.

      • 2011, Bette Greene, Get On Out of Here, Philip Hall‎^[2], →ISBN:

        Well, I reckon that all of us Singing Glenways ain't crossing our fingers for you.

      • 2012, Anne Holt, Tom Geddes, Blind Goddess‎^[3], →ISBN:

        With another huge effort he grabbed the bucket hook again, mentally crossing his fingers for the bolts in the thin plywood to hold.

   2. when telling a lie (and attempting to escape the moral and other consequence of that lie).
      • 2007, Toni White, Ridge Street Home‎^[4], →ISBN, page 5:

        Amanda placed her right hand behind her back and crossed her fingers. Her friend Sarah told her if you cross your fingers behind your back when you tell a lie, it's not a lie. Amanda didn't know if she believed that, but she crossed her fingers anyway.

      • 2011, Carsen Taite, Nothing But the Truth‎^[5], →ISBN:

        “You focus your efforts on managing your prosecutors and show up to try that case. I'll handle the rest.” Ryan nodded assent but crossed her fingers behind her back. She would do more than just show up.

      • 2014, Millie Criswell, Staying Single‎^[6], →ISBN:

        “It's not like I've been having fun,” she lied, crossing her fingers behind her back.

      • 2014, Frank Sousa, The Tree of Young Dreamers‎^[7], →ISBN, page 313:

        He always tried to make sure there wasn't a mirror behind him when he made a promise, and if there was and he couldn't cross his fingers, he just crossed them in his mind and hoped this was as good as the real thing.

      • 1969, Phyllis McCallum, The Vanilla Viking A Three-Act Play for Children‎^[8], page 37:

        AFTON: (CROSSING HER FINGERS) I always tell the truth. See for yourself. From the men's doorway you can see that the fjord is empty.

Quotations

• 2012, Sally Falcon, A Forever Man‎^[9], →ISBN, page 39:

  For a moment, he thought he might have to cross his fingers for good measure. “Okay,” she finally said, allowing him to breathe again. “I see your point — but platonic friends.” This time he did cross his fingers, for a different reason. “No problem. We'll just be shipboard buddies, that's all.”

Related terms

• cross one's arms
• cross one's heart
• have one's fingers crossed
• keep one's fingers crossed

Translations

put the middle finger across the index finger

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 交叉手指 (jiāochā shǒuzhǐ)

• Finnish: ristiä sormensa
• French: croiser les doigts (fr)
• German: die Finger kreuzen
• Italian: incrociare le dita
• Polish: krzyżować palce impf, skrzyżować palce pf
• Portuguese: cruzar os dedos
• Russian: скрести́ть па́льцы (ru) (skrestítʹ pálʹcy)
• Spanish: cruzar los dedos
• Swedish: hålla fingrarna i kors, korsa fingrarna, sätta fingrarna i kors

do this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck

• Belarusian: трыма́ць кула́кі (trymácʹ kuláki)
• Bulgarian: стискам палци (stiskam palci)
• Catalan: encreuar els dits, creuar els dits
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 祈禱／祈祷 (zh) (qídǎo), 祈求好運／祈求好运 (qíqiú hǎoyùn)

• Czech: držet palce (cs)
• Dutch: duimen (nl)
• Finnish: pitää peukkua
• French: croiser les doigts (fr), tenir les pouces (fr)
• German: Daumen drücken (put the thumb into the fist and press it)
• Greek: κάνω τον σταυρό μου (káno ton stavró mou)
• Italian: incrociare le dita
• Japanese: 幸運を祈る (こううんをいのる, kōun o inoru)
• Korean: 행운을 빌다 (haeng'uneul bilda)
• Polish: trzymać kciuki (pl)
• Portuguese: cruzar os dedos
• Russian: наде́ятся на уда́чу (nadéjatsja na udáču)
• Spanish: cruzar los dedos
• Swedish: hålla tummarna (sv) (to hold the thumbs)

do this or a similar gesture to tell a white lie

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: (no exact equivalent exists; “to tell a white lie”) 說一個善意的謊言／说一个善意的谎言 (shuō yīgè shànyì de huǎngyán)

• Finnish: kertoa valkoinen valhe
• French: croiser les doigts (fr)
• German: die Finger kreuzen
• Portuguese: cruzar os dedos
• Russian: врать скрести́в па́льцы (vratʹ skrestív pálʹcy)
• Spanish: please add this translation if you can
• Swedish: korsa fingrarna, lägga fingrarna i kors, hålla fingrarna i kors, hålla kors (colloquial)