\u00a9 2023 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. I hope its good weather; we all have our fingers crossed.. This post will help you uncover the same and also explain why this gesture is used while lying! cross one's fingers or keep one's fingers crossed: to hope for a particular or stated outcome. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. There will inevitably be some errors. We've created informative articles that you can come back to again and again when you have questions or want to learn more! Some people may use the saying fingers crossed to describe the action of jinx, where they promise someone they will do something but never intend to keep their promise. Today, you can use the physical act of crossing your fingers to indicate the associated message, use it in speech or text, or even use an emoji of the crossed fingers over digital communication platforms. Dani Rhys has worked as a writer and editor for over 15 years. Origin The act of crossing ones fingers dates back to before Christianity. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. The (fingers crossed emoji) can be used in many ways, and the meaning all depends on context. (of a check) marked for deposit only as indicated by having two lines drawn across it. In South Africa, Afrikaans speakers also have the related phrase "duim vashou" meaning "holding thumbs tightly". This emoji was previously displayed with an additional finger on Samsung devices. Your email address will not be published. The earliest use of the gesture had two people crossing their index fingers in order to form a cross. The expression is another way of wishing yourself or others good luck. In the 14th century, in war times, soldiers would avoid crossing fingers with each other as a sign of good luck. These days people dont always perform the gesture but simply use the phrase fingers crossed.. The earliest use of the gesture had two people crossing their index fingers in order to form a cross. "Crossed forks". In other words, this is a gesture of crossed fingers commonly used to wish for luck. WebThe meaning of CROSS is a structure consisting of an upright with a transverse beam used especially by the ancient Romans for execution. Placed crosswise. The gesture is referred to by the common expressions cross your fingers, keep your fingers crossed, or just fingers crossed. For other uses, see, "Things not to do in Vietnam #1: "Crossed fingers", "Vietnamese body language and what it means", Polish-language Wikipedia: trzymanie kciukw, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Crossed_fingers&oldid=1137425713, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 4 February 2023, at 16:15. Fingers crossed is an idiom used to express the expectation that something will happen in a good way as you want them to. This emoji was previously displayed with an additional finger on Samsung devices. An idiom is a figure of speech that is a word, group of words, or phrase that has a figurative meaning that is not easily deduced from its literal definition. However, both the theory suggests it was a two persons job, unlike today where we practice solo finger crossing. The first dates to a pre-Christianity Pagan belief in Western Europe in the powerful symbolism of a cross. The first dates to a pre-Christianity Pagan belief in Western Europe in the powerful symbolism of a cross. It didnt look bad, so fingers crossed. crossing fingers The origin of the saying fingers crossed predates the birth of Christ. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The modern use of fingers crossed (or variations such as crossed fingers or cross your fingers) is used to express the hope that something comes to pass or that someone is blessed with good luck. [4][5] As a result, some judges would cross their fingers whenever they said the phrase as a result of concern for the criminal's soul as they said it as a prayer. The first dates to a pre-Christianity Pagan belief in Western Europe in the powerful symbolism of a cross. For example, you could say, Im going in for that interview I told you about; fingers crossed for me!, That client said he was going to sign for a million dollars. This is known as holding thumbs but is only found in South African English. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. It was this centre point that was thought to bring good luck. See thumb for an older gesture, of similar protective nature. Some accounts suggest that people crossed their fingers during 16th century England to ward off evil spirits. Friends and family, however, can still commiserate by crossing their own fingers or at the very least saying Keep your fingers crossed.. synonym: crossed. Origin of the Phrase Fingers Crossed The act of crossing fingers goes back to before Christianity. This theory doesn't fully explain how luck initially became associated with the gesture, but it does posit that the solo finger cross developed during the bloody Hundred Years War by soldiers eager for anything that might curry God's favor. Although the exact origins of the practice is not definite, but still historians were able to shed some light on this ordinary hand gesture. Eventually, wish-makers realized they could go it alone and impart the benefit of a present cross to their wishes without another person's participation, first crossing their two index fingers and finally adopting the one-handed practice we still use today. Stories on how crossing fingers when lying came to be are mixed. Instead, wishing for luck is gestured by holding thumbs. Emojipedia is a member of the Unicode Consortium. The tradition of crossing your fingers is very common, you will notice a kid crossing his fingers behind his back while lying to his parent. The actual gesture, which does not have to accompany the phrase, involves crossing one's middle finger over the index finger as a superstition believed to bring good luck or ward off bad luck. In other words, this is a gesture of crossed fingers commonly used to wish for luck. Code pointslisted are part of the Unicode Standard. Explore Thesaurus 2 Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. - Did we make a mistake? The actual gesture, which does not have to accompany the phrase, involves crossing one's middle finger over the index finger as a superstition believed to bring good luck or ward off bad luck. There are two main theories regarding the origins of finger-crossing for luck. Origin The act of crossing ones fingers dates back to before Christianity. The phrase suits professional and social use. You could use it at the office when youre telling someone that you have your fingers crossed that the client signs the deal. For example: Sanna asked me to cross my fingers for her as she set off to complete the last phase of the job interview. Web1 used for saying that you hope something goes well or has a good result Tomorrow is my second test so fingers crossed! There are two primary theories on how crossing fingers came to be a symbol of good luck. It is considered as a sign of wishing good luck or fortune. Change Consent. (of someone's arms, legs, or fingers) in a position where one arm, etc. In Vietnam, crossing fingers is considered disrespectful to women, and is deemed to be a grievous act when directed at somebody. Crossing Fingers: What Does It Mean and How Did it Start? The pagan religions believed this sign was a Keep up with tech in just 5 minutes a week! With time the gesture evolved to one person being able to do it by themselves. Links to Christianity The first can be traced to pagan times in Western Europe where the cross was highly accepted as a symbol of unity. The idiomatic phrase is derived from the actual act of Fingers crossed is an idiom with its roots in early Christianity, possibly before. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws. Origin of this idiomatic expression. Learn more Are you curious about what a means? The shape of the cross was similar to a crossroad, where spirits were said to dwell. Currently working as a dual credit technical writing instructor at a Career and Technical Education Center, her curriculum development surrounds student focus on effective communication for future career choices. Each member would make this shape, with their thumbs touching and crossing their index fingers. But thats probably because like other superstitions such as knocking on wood, it doesnt take much effort to do it. Often put as Keep your fingers crossed, meaning Wish me luck, it dates from the 1920s. The use of the gesture is often considered by children as an excuse for telling a white lie. What does the (fingers crossed) emoji mean? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Grammarist is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. He loves her to death. In 16th-century England, people cross fingers or make the sign of the cross to ward off evil, as well as when people coughed or sneezed.[8]. 2 . "Seated with arms across". Fingers crossed the team can perform as they have over the last two years in the competition. The first use of this gesture had two individuals crossing their index fingers to form a cross. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc.
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