knock on wood
Meaning: to seek good fortune; to ward off bad luck.
Language: English
Literally: to knock on wood
Category: Nature
Origin: European folklore; knocking wood supposedly invokes protective spirits.
More idioms — Nature
- Auf dem Holzweg sein — To be on completely the wrong track.
- 高嶺の花 — Someone or something beautiful but utterly out of reach.
- После дождичка в четверг — Never — or certainly no time soon.
- Τα έκανε θάλασσα — He made a complete mess of it.
- Je to za vodou — To be out of trouble; home free.
- Spadnout z višně — To be naive and clueless about how things really work.
More English idioms
- pull someone's leg — To joke or tease someone by telling them something untrue.
- Mad as a hatter — Completely eccentric or unhinged.
- To steal someone's thunder — To take credit for another's idea or upstage their big moment.
- To turn a blind eye — To deliberately ignore something you know is wrong.
- Hair of the dog — A morning drink taken to cure a hangover.
- To bite the bullet — To face something painful with gritted courage.
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