touch wood

present singular third person touches wood · participle present touching wood · participle past touched wood · past touched wood

1. CommonwealthIrelandUKTo make contact with wood to avert bad luck, in accordance with a folk practice.

   Touching wood possibly has reference to (a) the cross, or (b) the altar rails in days when criminals could take sanctuary in churches.

   1930, John D. Stephenson, chapter I, in The Structure of English from Sentence to Essay, page 105

   2 more examples

   Very few patients for whom I provided psychiatric treatment ended their lives by suicide, but I became increasingly convinced that my residency instructor who touched wood because none of his patients had killed themselves had not been treating many seriously mentally ill patients for any extended period of time.

   2003, Chester Schneider, The Making of a Christian Psychiatrist, US: Xulon Press, page 193

   Examples of rituals include touching wood, repeating phrases in your mind, wearing lucky clothes or jewellery, and avoiding unlucky numbers, out of a faulty belief that these rituals will stop unfortunate or tragic events befalling yourself or your loved ones.

   2010, Rhena Branch, Rob Willson, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy For Dummies, 2nd edition, UK: John Wiley & Sons, page 102

   Synonyms: knock on wood

1. AustraliaIndiaNew ZealandSouth AfricaUKidiomaticHopefully; said while touching something wooden, to avert superstitious bad luck from what has just been said.

   And the reds are going to avoid relegation this year, touch wood.

   3 more examples

   If it′s ever me (Jesus Christ, touch wood!), I don′t want you bringing me flowers.

   1988, Janette Turner Hospital, chapter I, in Charades, page 314

   The English press has been very good to me, touch wood.

   2008 March, Anna Friel with Deanna Kizis (interviewer), “A Conversation with: Anna Friel”, in Women′s Health, page 88

   I know I have my faults and one of them is my impatience and I also cannot tolerate people who are ill, mainly because I am so very rarely ill—“Touch wood,” I said out loud and touched my head at the same time.

   2009, Lee Hobin, chapter I, in The Male Survival Guide to Pregnancy, page 59

   Synonyms: knock on wood