cross one's fingers
English
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cross one's fingers
Where it comes from
* 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.
verb crosses one's fingers · crossing one's fingers · crossed one's fingers
- To put the middle finger across the index finger, especially She was seen crossing her fingers in the wedding photo.
- 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.
- when telling a lie (and attempting to escape the moral and other consequence of that lie). 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.
Translations
Every language
verb put the middle finger across the index finger
| Español | cruzar los dedos |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 交叉手指 jiāochā shǒuzhǐ |
| Português | cruzar os dedos |
| Français | croiser les doigts |
| Deutsch | die Finger kreuzen |
| Italiano | incrociare le dita |
| Русский | скрести́ть па́льцы skrestítʹ pálʹcy |
verb do this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
| Español | cruzar los dedos |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 행운을 빌다 haeng'uneul bilda |
| 日本語 | 幸運を祈る kōun o inoru |
| 中文 | 祈禱 /祈祷 qídǎo, 祈求好運 /祈求好运 qíqiú hǎoyùn |
| Português | cruzar os dedos |
| Français | croiser les doigts, tenir les pouces |
| Deutsch | Daumen drücken |
| Italiano | incrociare le dita |
| Ελληνικά | κάνω τον σταυρό μου káno ton stavró mou |
| Русский | наде́яться на уда́чу nadéjatʹsja na udáču |
verb do this or a similar gesture to tell a white lie
| 中文 | 說一個善意的謊言 /说一个善意的谎言 shuō yīgè shànyì de huǎngyán |
|---|---|
| Português | cruzar os dedos |
| Français | croiser les doigts |
| Deutsch | die Finger kreuzen |
| Русский | врать скрести́в па́льцы vratʹ skrestív pálʹcy |
Talk about this word "cross one's fingers." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/cross%20one's%20fingers. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026. cross one's fingers. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 7, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/cross%20one's%20fingers "cross one's fingers." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 7, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/cross%20one's%20fingers.Cite this
@misc{cross_one_s_fingers_2026,
title = {cross one's fingers},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/cross%20one's%20fingers},
urldate = {2026-11-07}
}
