cross one's fingers

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* 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.

45 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Chinese Mandarin: 交叉手指 (jiāochā shǒuzhǐ) — put the middle finger across the index finger
• Finnish: ristiä sormensa — put the middle finger across the index finger
• French: croiser les doigts — put the middle finger across the index finger
• German: die Finger kreuzen — put the middle finger across the index finger
• Italian: incrociare le dita — put the middle finger across the index finger
• Polish: krzyżować palce — put the middle finger across the index finger
• Polish: skrzyżować palce — put the middle finger across the index finger
• Portuguese: cruzar os dedos — put the middle finger across the index finger
• Russian: скрести́ть па́льцы (skrestítʹ pálʹcy) — put the middle finger across the index finger
• Spanish: cruzar los dedos — put the middle finger across the index finger
• Swedish: hålla fingrarna i kors — put the middle finger across the index finger
• Swedish: korsa fingrarna — put the middle finger across the index finger
• Swedish: sätta fingrarna i kors — put the middle finger across the index finger
• Belarusian: трыма́ць кула́кі (trymácʹ kuláki) — do this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
• Bulgarian: стискам палци (stiskam palci) — do this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
• Catalan: encreuar els dits — do this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
• Catalan: creuar els dits — do this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
• Chinese Mandarin: 祈禱 /祈祷 (qídǎo) — do this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
• Chinese Mandarin: 祈求好運 /祈求好运 (qíqiú hǎoyùn) — do this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
• Czech: držet palce — do this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
• Dutch: duimen — do this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
• Finnish: pitää peukkua — do this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
• French: croiser les doigts — do this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
• French: tenir les pouces — do this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
• German: Daumen drücken — do this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
• Greek: κάνω τον σταυρό μου (káno ton stavró mou) — do this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
• Italian: incrociare le dita — do this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
• Japanese: 幸運を祈る (kōun o inoru) — do this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
• Korean: 행운을 빌다 (haeng'uneul bilda) — do this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
• Latvian: turēt īkšķus — do this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
• Polish: trzymać kciuki — do this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
• Portuguese: cruzar os dedos — do this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
• Russian: наде́яться на уда́чу (nadéjatʹsja na udáču) — do this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
• Spanish: cruzar los dedos — do this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
• Swedish: hålla tummarna — do this or a similar gesture to wish for good luck
• Chinese Mandarin: 說一個善意的謊言 /说一个善意的谎言 (shuō yīgè shànyì de huǎngyán) — do this or a similar gesture to tell a white lie
• Finnish: kertoa valkoinen valhe — do this or a similar gesture to tell a white lie
• French: croiser les doigts — do this or a similar gesture to tell a white lie
• German: die Finger kreuzen — do this or a similar gesture to tell a white lie
• Portuguese: cruzar os dedos — do this or a similar gesture to tell a white lie
• Russian: врать скрести́в па́льцы (vratʹ skrestív pálʹcy) — do this or a similar gesture to tell a white lie
• Swedish: korsa fingrarna — do this or a similar gesture to tell a white lie
• Swedish: lägga fingrarna i kors — do this or a similar gesture to tell a white lie
• Swedish: hålla fingrarna i kors — do this or a similar gesture to tell a white lie
• Swedish: hålla kors — do this or a similar gesture to tell a white lie