knock on wood
Superstitious luck gesture
Knock on wood is a phrase spoken after mentioning good fortune or expressing hope, accompanied by the gesture of rapping knuckles on wood—a superstitious act meant to ward off bad luck or prevent jinxing oneself: I haven't been sick all year, knock on wood.
The British equivalent is touch wood.
When no wood is available, people often mime the gesture or tap their own heads.
- bad omenSign foretelling misfortune
- luckChance affecting outcomes
- superstitionBaseless belief in omens
- old wives' taleUnfounded traditional belief
- good luckFavorable chance or fortune
hope · just in case · tap · tempting fate · magical thinking · ritual · talisman · rabbit's foot · wishing well · fingers crossed · crossing fingers · caution · break a leg · oak · wishbone · anxiety reduction · avoidance · wishful
- luckgood luck, bad luck, lucky, luckily, pure luck
- superstitionblack cat, broken mirror, Friday the 13th, walking under ladder, evil eye
- superstitionssuperstition, superstitions, hexes, black cats, broken mirror
- good luck gesturescrossed fingers, blowing on dice, eyelash wish, dandelion wish, hamsa
- fortunelucky, luck, fortune, fate, destiny
- idiomstime flies, hit the sack, seize the day, ring a bell, break a leg
knock on woodtempt fate
Recklessly invite misfortune
speak too soon · hubris · overconfidence · take for granted · presumption
knock on woodcurse
Invoked harm through words
hex · jinx · evil eye · famous last words
wood, knock, wooden, knockout, woodland, woodwork, knocking, knocked, knocker