What does it mean when someone says Touchwood?

This expression is said in order to avoid bad luck, either when you mention good luck that you have had in the past or when you mention hopes you have for the future. The expression is usually used in the hope that a good thing will continue to occur after it has been acknowledged.

Does Touchwood really work?

While there is no strong evidence as to why this belief has become so rampant, many fables and lores indicate that by touching the wood, you are actually touching the wood of the Holy Cross, which may bring good luck and help you seek protection of God.

Where did the saying touch wood originate from?

The Oxford English Dictionary traces the phrase “touch wood” only back to the early 19th century, locating its origins in a British children’s tag game called Tiggy-touch-wood, in which children could make themselves “exempt…from capture [by] touching wood.”

What does the idiom knock on wood origin?

Origin. The phrase originated based on a superstition that knocking or touching wood will ward off evil spirits. Wood and trees have an association with good spirits in mythology. It was considered good luck to tap trees to let the good spirits know that you were there.

Is it knock wood or touch wood?

Knock on wood is an American phrase that appears around the beginning of the twentieth century. Touch wood is a superstitious phrase spoken when one has acknowledged some good fortune and wishes the good fortune to continue. Touch wood is the British counterpart to the American knock on wood.

How do you use the word Touchwood in a sentence?

You can say ‘ touch wood’ in British English, or ‘ knock on wood’ in American English, to indicate that you hope to have good luck in something you are doing, usually after saying that you have been lucky with it so far. She’s never even been to the doctor’s, touch wood.

What is the meaning of the idiom knows the ropes?

To be familiar with the details of an operation: “You won’t have to train the new computer operator; she already knows the ropes.”

Why is knocking on wood good luck?

One common explanation traces the phenomenon to ancient pagan cultures such as the Celts, who believed that spirits and gods resided in trees. Knocking on tree trunks may have served to rouse the spirits and call on their protection, but it could have also been a way of showing gratitude for a stroke of good luck.

Why is touch wood lucky?

What is difference between Touchwood and polish?

WoodTech Touchwood Interior provides better hardness and protection to wood compared to the local French polish. Simply applied on wood with the help of using a brush.