By: SoniaT,
on 9/30/2015
It so happened that I have been “gleaning” the whole month, but today I’ll probably exhaust the questions received during the last weeks. From a letter: “I have been told Norwegians would say forth and back rather that back and forth since it was logical for them to envision going away, then coming back.”
The post Etymology gleanings for September 2015 appeared first on OUPblog.
There are two different uses for the phase Knock-On-Wood.
Knock-On-Wood is used to avoid pushing one’s luck after speaking of your own death or making yourself seem superior to others.
Knock-On-Wood is used in the hope that something good will continue to happen, when acknowledged. {For example: “I just got a promotion!” (Knock-on-wood.)}
Another word with the same definition is Touch wood. These two words are identical
It is believed that Knock-On-Wood came from “Touch wood.” Which was used in the old days. Historian Steve Roud says,” The earliest documented references to “touching wood” are from 1805 and 1828 and concern chasing games like “Tiggy-touch-wood”, where you are safe from being “tagged” if you “touch wood.”
Tiggy-touch-wood was the early form of the kids game Tag. Where the hunter chases after the prey, but if the prey touches the wood, he is safe.
Lets recap. An early form of the kids game tag said touching the tree caused you to be “save.” From that the word fell into everyday language. The new meaning said something good will continue to happen, when acknowledged, and then, The word changed to the phase Knock-on-wood.
Now that we learned something new. Here are some interesting pictures, I hope you will enjoy.
