也有的人認為knock on wood 起源於基督徒發誓或祈禱好運時觸摸一個木製十字架的儀式。早期的基督徒認為他們所觸摸的正是耶穌殉難的那個十字架。到了後來他們認為只要觸摸任何木製十字架或是十字架的一部分,其意義都和觸摸耶穌殉難十字架是一樣的。
在英國有一個短語意思和knock on wood 一樣,這個短語是touch wood 。它最早見於1908年的《威斯敏斯特公報》上。它有可能起源於19世紀英國一種叫做"touch-wood"的遊戲。依照遊戲規則,觸摸到木頭的人就可以不被捉到。
Knock on wood 在挪威有一個變體,即knock on the table 。既然在室內很難找到木頭,找一件包含木製材料的家具代替木頭也就順理成章了。
The phrase 'knock on wood' is another way of saying 'touch wood'
小常識
It is customary to place your hand on something wooden when saying the phrase ‘touch wood’ to try and ward off bad luck. If there’s no wood available, some people put their hand on their head! Although opinion about the origin of the phrase differs, some people believe it was linked to mythology of trees, which were thought to possess spirits. By knocking or touching the wood of the trees, the spirits would know you were there and would offer you good fortune.