Knock on Wood

I was chattering with Weary and I said, “Knock on wood.” She pops back with, “Why do people say that anyway?” I was clueless! I never thought about the things we say that we don’t really know why we say them. So many things have been passed down from parent to child and such that sometimes the meanings have been lost. I did a search though and found that no one really knows the origin of Knock on wood. How crazy is that?

3 Responses to “Knock on Wood”

  1. trisha Says:

    I always thought that if you “knock on wood” you are getting good luck (as most people think), but wood is a natural substance that cannot be stuffed around by the human race, it is always true, it can look after you in many ways like, build a house, make a fire, use you make bowls and eating utensils, so it helps the human race in all those ways so it is a true friend that can help and not be changed, only my view

    See, that sounds like the most reasonable explanation for why it’s for good luck. I also like the leprechaun reasoning, but only because I think leprechauns are awesome. ;)
  2. Jason (Mal) Says:

    I always thought of it as a jinx, like saying “gee, I hope i don’t run out of gas” then you “knock on wood” meaning “sure enough, now that I say it, it’ll probably happen.

    Well, knocking on wood is supposed to prevent it from happening. So, it’s really the anti-jinx.
  3. Michael Says:

    I have thought for some time that it meant something was obvious. I guess not.

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