Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

cross one's fingers

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.08 in modern English

Syllables: cross one's fin-gers
IPA

22

Scrabble Score

16

Letters

2

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To put the middle finger across the index finger, especially

verb

To put the middle finger across the index finger, especially:

verb

To put the middle finger across the index finger, especially:

Example Sentences

"She was seen crossing her fingers in the wedding photo."
"I hope everything turns out OK. I'll cross my fingers for you. / I'll cross my fingers that everything turns out OK."
"“Cross your fingers that the readership loves it.” Joy crossed her fingers."
"Well, I reckon that all of us Singing Glenways ain't crossing our fingers for you."
"With another huge effort he grabbed the bucket hook again, mentally crossing his fingers for the bolts in the thin plywood to hold."
"Amanda placed her right hand behind her back and crossed her fingers. Her friend Sarah told her if you cross your fingers behind your back when you tell a lie, it's not a lie. Amanda didn't know if she believed that, but she crossed her fingers anyway."

Etymology

* As a gesture of good luck, from the Christian notion of inconspicuously making a sign of the cross as an invocation to God. * As a gesture of lying, probably from the Schwurhand, a gesture used in some European countries when taking an oath. The right hand is raised with the index and middle fingers extended upwards (somewhat similarly to a V sign but with the thumb on the side). By crossing the two fingers, the oath is thus symbolically broken.

Inflected Forms

crosses one's fingers (present, singular) crossing one's fingers (participle, present) crossed one's fingers (participle, past) crossed one's fingers (past)

Phrases

cross one's arms cross one's heart have one's fingers crossed keep one's fingers crossed

Frequently Paired Words

cross one's arms cross one's heart have one's fingers crossed keep one's fingers crossed

Questions

What does cross one's fingers mean?: To put the middle finger across the index finger, especially
Where does cross one's fingers come from?: * As a gesture of good luck, from the Christian notion of inconspicuously making a sign of the cross as an invocation to God. * As a gesture of lying, probably from the Schwurhand, a gesture used in some European countries when taking an oath. The right hand is raised with the index and middle fingers extended upwards (somewhat similarly to a V sign but with the thumb on the side). By crossing the two fingers, the oath is thus symbolically broken.

How to pronounce cross one's fingers

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