cross one's fingers

verb

To put the middle finger across the index finger, especially

“She was seen crossing her fingers in the wedding photo.”

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Meanings

verbcross 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)

present singular third person crosses one's fingers · participle present crossing one's fingers · participle past crossed one's fingers · past 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.

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

      3 more examples

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

      2011, Jayne Addison, About That Kiss, →ISBN

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

      2011, Bette Greene, Get On Out of Here, Philip Hall, →ISBN

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

      2012, Anne Holt, Tom Geddes, Blind Goddess, →ISBN
    2. when telling a lie (and attempting to escape the moral and other consequence of that lie).

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

      2014, Millie Criswell, Staying Single, →ISBN
      4 more examples

      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.

      2007, Toni White, Ridge Street Home, →ISBN, page 5

      “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.

      2011, Carsen Taite, Nothing But the Truth, →ISBN

      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.

      2014, Frank Sousa, The Tree of Young Dreamers, →ISBN, page 313

      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.

      1969, Phyllis McCallum, The Vanilla Viking A Three-Act Play for Children, page 37

Origin

* 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.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian стискам палци
  • стискам палци (stiskam palci)do this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
Catalan encreuar els dits, creuar els dits
  • encreuar els ditsdo this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
  • creuar els ditsdo this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
Chinese Mandarin 祈禱 /祈祷, 祈求好運 /祈求好运
  • 祈禱 /祈祷 (qídǎo)do this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
  • 祈求好運 /祈求好运 (qíqiú hǎoyùn)do this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
  • 說一個善意的謊言 /说一个善意的谎言 (shuō yīgè shànyì de huǎngyán)do this or a similar gesture to tell a white lie
  • 交叉手指 (jiāochā shǒuzhǐ)put the middle finger across the index finger
Czech držet palce
  • držet palcedo this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
Dutch duimen
  • duimendo this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
Finnish pitää peukkua, kertoa valkoinen valhe
  • pitää peukkuado this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
  • kertoa valkoinen valhedo this or a similar gesture to tell a white lie
  • ristiä sormensaput the middle finger across the index finger
French croiser les doigts, tenir les pouces
  • croiser les doigtsdo this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
  • tenir les poucesdo this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
  • croiser les doigtsdo this or a similar gesture to tell a white lie
  • croiser les doigtsput the middle finger across the index finger
German Daumen drücken, die Finger kreuzen
  • Daumen drückendo this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
  • die Finger kreuzendo this or a similar gesture to tell a white lie
  • die Finger kreuzenput the middle finger across the index finger
Greek κάνω τον σταυρό μου
  • κάνω τον σταυρό μου (káno ton stavró mou)do this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
Italian incrociare le dita, incrociare le dita
  • incrociare le ditado this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
  • incrociare le ditaput the middle finger across the index finger
Japanese 幸運を祈る
  • 幸運を祈る (kōun o inoru)do this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
Korean 행운을 빌다
  • 행운을 빌다 (haeng'uneul bilda)do this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
Latvian turēt īkšķus
  • turēt īkšķusdo this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
Polish trzymać kciuki, krzyżować palce
  • trzymać kciukido this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
  • krzyżować palceput the middle finger across the index finger
  • skrzyżować palceput the middle finger across the index finger
Portuguese cruzar os dedos, cruzar os dedos
  • cruzar os dedosdo this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
  • cruzar os dedosdo this or a similar gesture to tell a white lie
  • cruzar os dedosput the middle finger across the index finger
Russian наде́яться на уда́чу, врать скрести́в па́льцы
  • наде́яться на уда́чу (nadéjatʹsja na udáču)do this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
  • врать скрести́в па́льцы (vratʹ skrestív pálʹcy)do this or a similar gesture to tell a white lie
  • скрести́ть па́льцы (skrestítʹ pálʹcy)put the middle finger across the index finger
Spanish cruzar los dedos, cruzar los dedos
  • cruzar los dedosdo this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
  • cruzar los dedosput the middle finger across the index finger
Swedish hålla tummarna, korsa fingrarna
  • hålla tummarnado this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
  • korsa fingrarnado this or a similar gesture to tell a white lie
  • lägga fingrarna i korsdo this or a similar gesture to tell a white lie
  • hålla fingrarna i korsdo this or a similar gesture to tell a white lie
  • hålla korsdo this or a similar gesture to tell a white lie
  • hålla fingrarna i korsput the middle finger across the index finger
  • korsa fingrarnaput the middle finger across the index finger
  • sätta fingrarna i korsput the middle finger across the index finger
Cite this entry
APA

cross one's fingers. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cross%20one's%20fingers

MLA

“cross one's fingers.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cross%20one's%20fingers. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cross one's fingers,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cross%20one's%20fingers.

Source: cross one's fingers on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.