Hi this is Tutor Nick P and this is Idioms 295. The idiom today is "knock on
wood." Okay. In British English this phrase is
said as to touch wood. Okay. Let's continue. This phrase is used in a superstitious
manner. So in a superstitious way, especially in order to avoid something
bad or unpleasant from happening. It is somewhat connected to the idea of to
tempt fate. By boldly stating a particular thing, there is a feeling that some
supernatural force may hear you're proud or confident words and reverse you're luck,
especially in a negative way. Like what you think that. You know, the God
said okay. I'm going to put some spell on you or I'm going to do something so that
now the opposite will happen. That's the idea. Why say knock on wood ? Okay, here.
This comes from an old belief that touching or hitting wood will avoid
disaster. Yeah. So when people do say knock on wood , usually they do take their
knuckles and they they knock on it. You know, well if this was wood that would
be it. They try to look for something wood and they knock on it and that's
supposed to keep away the bad luck, or the bad thing from happening. Many think
it may date back to the period of the Druids who considered certain trees to
be sacred or holy. So that's where it may have originally come from. Okay. Anyway,
and we just give three examples here. Her nephew .... her nephew is so healthy
he never gets sick knock on wood. So you almost feel like by
saying that like somebody never gets sick that it's almost tempting fate in a
way maybe some somebody in the spiritual world or some God or something may say
okay, you never get sick. Okay. Bang now, now you got sick. Or in over 30
years of business, he has never been audited by the
IRS. Knock on wood. You know, so again you know, that had better continue not to
happen. So keep that bad thing away. Or number three here. He has won five years
in a row , hopefully this year will make six. Knock on wood. So that's again the
usual way to say it. Then you'd probably tap your knuckles on some close-by
piece of wood. Okay. Anyway, I hope you got it. I hope you found it to be very
informative and enjoyable. Thank you for your time. Bye-bye.