The British version of the phrase – ‘touch wood’, pre-dates the American ‘knock on wood’ and was itself preceded by a Latin version – ‘absit omen’,meaning‘far be that omen from us’. Learn themeaning,origins, and usage of the idiom"touch wood",which is used to express a desire for good luck or to ward off bad luck. Find out the variations, synonyms, antonyms, and cultural insights of this common phrase. There are three meanings listed in OED's entry for the nountouchwood, one of which is labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning& use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence. Knocking on wood is a superstition of touching or tapping wood to avoid tempting fate after making a positive statement.Learn about the origin, meaning and variations of this practice in different languages and cultures.
