What does the expression “knock on wood” mean?
People often knock on wood when they make a statement which seems to tempt fate. The idea is that knocking on wood will ward off evil spirits. Superstitions surrounding evil spirits are ancient, and the idea of touching wood to avoid them is also quite old. Many people in Northern Europe and North America knock on wood so reflexively that they do not even realize that they are doing it, showing how ingrained the tradition is in these cultures. In most cases, it is believed that one must literally knock on wood to deflect bad luck. In most cases, people rap on wood with a closed fist, creating a rapping noise like knocking on a door. In other cases, people may say “knock on wood” or “touch wood” after making a potentially risky statement such as “it doesn’t look like rain today.” The exact origins of the tradition are unclear. In many pagan traditions, fairies and other creatures were said to live in the trees. In these instances, people might knock wood to request good luck, or to dist
