Where did saying knock on wood originate?

Knocking on wood is thought to come from the folklore of the ancient Indo-Europeans, or possibly people who predated them, who believed that trees were home to various spirits. Touching a tree would invoke the protection or blessing of the spirit within.

When you knock on wood What does it mean?

Some people say, “Knock on wood,” and then knock on something made of wood for good luck, when they have made a remark that has been true up to that point and they want it to continue to be true: “I’ve never had an accident yet, knock on wood.”

When did knocking on wood become a thing?

The Oxford English Dictionary traces the phrase “touch wood” only back to the early 19th century, locating its origins in a British children’s tag game called Tiggy-touch-wood, in which children could make themselves “exempt…from capture [by] touching wood.”

Is knocking on wood Irish?

There is an Irish belief that you `knock on wood’ to let the leprechauns know that you are thanking them for a bit of good luck. A Jewish version says it originated during the Spanish Inquisition as temples and synagogues were built of wood they used code to use in knocking on doors to gain admission.

Who did the song Knock on wood?

Amii Stewart
Knock on Wood/Artists

Why do you knock on wood three times?

People do not actually believe knocking three times on a piece of wood will really protect them, but it is a social habit and it is polite to do so to demonstrate that one doesn’t want that bad thing one is talking about to actually happen.

Where did ‘knock on wood’ originate?

The exact origin of the phrase “knock on wood” is unknown, however many speculate that is could have come from rituals in early times where trees were considered sacred spirits. Others believe the phrase originated in Ireland.

What is the origin of knocking on wood?

The first possible origin of knocking on wood is that it’s a much more laid-back version of the ruckus that pagan Europeans raised to chase away evil spirits from their homes and trees or to prevent them from hearing about, and ruining, a person’s good luck.

What does the phrase knock on wood mean?

Knocking on wood used to be a way of warding off suspected impending bad luck, and now it’s used as a tongue-in-cheek sort of phrase for when someone has had a lot of good luck, meaning that the person should be careful to avoid the bad luck which may follow. The Phrase Finder says: