APAD: Knock on Wood

Meaning:

   This phrase is used by people who rap their knuckles on a piece of wood

   hoping to stave off bad luck.

   

   In the UK, the phrase `touch wood` is used - often jokingly by tapping one's

   head. The phrases are sometimes spoken when a person is already experiencing

   some good fortune and hope that it will continue - for example "I've been

   winning on every race - touch wood".

 

Background:

   The derivation may be the association that wood and trees have with good

   spirits in mythology, or with the Christian cross. It used to be considered

   good luck to tap trees to let the wood spirits within know you were there.

   Traditions of this sort still persist in Ireland.

 

   The British version of the phrase - `touch wood', pre-dates the American

   `knock on wood' and was itself preceded by a Latin version - `absit omen',

   meaning `far be that omen from us'.

 

   `Knock on wood' is known from the early 20th century; for example, The

   Syracuse Herald, February 1905:

     Neglecting to knock on wood may have been responsible for the weather's

     unseemly behaviour today.

 

- www.phrases.org.uk [edited]

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I met the folks who ran the new Sunnyvale BJJ academy around 2017. Back then,

they were Ralph Gracie Mountain View. I started with them but quit after a few

months and later trained in Redwood City. They were happy and surprised to see

me. I must have changed a lot.

 

In the past weeks, I found that most of the guys who had stuck it out since had

gotten their black belts. Tuesday before sparring I asked Ronaldo, a 53-year-old

Filipino and one from the early gang, if he had any injuries I should be aware

of. He gave me a big grin, thumped on the mat, and said: "Knock on wood!"

所有跟帖： 

• haha, that's the reason we only buy soildWoodFurniture as -最西邊的島上- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/14/2024 postreply 08:49:29

• I (+Maowi) need to "Knock on wood" all the time ;-) -最西邊的島上- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/14/2024 postreply 08:50:08

• Now you can save the furniture and tap your own head :-)) -7grizzly- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/14/2024 postreply 09:14:23

• It might take Maowi a while to learn the trick :-)) -7grizzly- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/14/2024 postreply 09:15:03

• uhoh, my head is in big trouble. pls don't knock onIt. ;-)) -最西邊的島上- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/14/2024 postreply 09:23:17

• Living things are anti-fragile, up to a point, of course:-)) -7grizzly- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/14/2024 postreply 09:28:58

• 要不哪來的鐵頭功? :-))) -7grizzly- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/14/2024 postreply 12:17:47

• needHeadToThink. not鐵頭功。maybe a wooden helmet will do .;) -最西邊的島上- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/14/2024 postreply 14:34:37

• I first heard this one from my mother-in-law many years ago. -甜蟲蟲- ♀ (83 bytes) () 06/14/2024 postreply 09:00:43

• She must've known the alternative but preferred wood :-) -7grizzly- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/14/2024 postreply 09:16:53

• I would too if there is anything wood nearby :) -甜蟲蟲- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/14/2024 postreply 10:26:10

• You really enjoy BJJ :) My best friend practices that too. -甜蟲蟲- ♀ (212 bytes) () 06/14/2024 postreply 09:04:21

• 10+yrs is great! It's a lifestyle and it's not about who's -7grizzly- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/14/2024 postreply 09:19:08

• first but who's left to say "knock on wood!" -7grizzly- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/14/2024 postreply 09:19:48

• definitely! -甜蟲蟲- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/14/2024 postreply 10:27:26

• Scare away bad lucks -移花接木- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/14/2024 postreply 09:50:30

• justChecked Wiki, 26 different usages acrossTheWorld. Wow -最西邊的島上- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/14/2024 postreply 11:37:48

• Urs is 4 Brazil & Portugal. :-) -最西邊的島上- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/14/2024 postreply 11:39:48

• Nice research! -7grizzly- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/14/2024 postreply 12:43:09

• “ER is not busy today.” “Knock on wood”:) -妖妖靈- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/14/2024 postreply 13:38:31

• Pray it stays empty for the week :-) -7grizzly- ♂ (0 bytes) () 06/14/2024 postreply 15:36:16

• 學習了“knuckle” and “stave off something”。 -天邊一片白雲- ♀ (0 bytes) () 06/14/2024 postreply 18:00:07