Talk:Knocking on wood

message: I was going to remove an entry from the “Similar traditions” section because it had nothing to do with wood. But then I noticed that this raises questions about other entries:
Not very similar
* Israel – The words do not mention wood, and no action is described
* Vietnam – Same (according to Google Translate, at least)
Somewhat similar
* Denmark – The spoken part is completely different, but knocking on a table is similar
* Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand – Same. The Indonesian words are different (again, using Google Translate). Google Translate didn’t recognize the Malay, and no Thai words are given. But the actions involve knocking on wood.
* Italy – Wood is not involved, but the “touch [material]” formulation is the same as a common variant of this saying
* Norway – Wood is not mentioned directly, but it sounds like it’s implied to some degree
In my opinion, the first two should be removed. Otherwise, this could become a very long list of good luck rituals in general, and lose the focus on this ritual in particular. But I’d say the others all have some kind of connection to the specific “knock on wood” custom, enough to justify keeping them. –96.234.17.196 (talk) 07:09, 15 August 2020 (UTC)
thread_title: How similar is “similar”?

message: Perhaps this is more of a Wiktionairy entry? I dunno so I won't touch it... –— Preceding unsigned comment added by Headcase88 (talk • contribs) 06:37, 17 April 2005 (UTC)
thread_title: Wikipedia or Wiktionary?

message: As I can see the saying goes a long way back in the days. I dont see any African saying that equates to that, but I know African tradition requieres that respect to plants, using woods to fabricate objects of worshipping to their gods. It is probably the only way we knew to pay respect to our mother earth and our main source of nutrition. Even the animals we feed on, feed on the plants and the whole cycle comes down to the only one that depends only on the soil mother earth for our main food provider. By touching wood we are going back to respecting our environment and in so doing avoiding bad things that happens. 
----  —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mrsunnysunshyne (talk • contribs) 09:49, 20 April 2010 (UTC)
thread_title: In Africa

message: My Dad used to say the wood had to be uncoated - no paint or varnish - and so would touch, for example, the underside of a table rather than the top surface.    Has anyone else come across this? 103.4.125.25 (talk) 22:57, 16 March 2016 (UTC)
thread_title: Variation

message: I'd always heard that it's an appeal to Zeus (to whom the oak was sacred), to avoid punishment by Nemesis for hubris. ― Brianary (talk) 19:23, 4 December 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Thing is, he's basing his comments on the historical record. What are yours based on?  Also, "ring around the rosies" does not, according to scholars, date from the plague years. --Dannyno 22:17, 9 January 2007 (UTC)
replies: text: he's basing his theory on british folklore, his area of expertise, but the fact that this same expression occurs in many different languages seems to suggest an older origin than the 19th century. of course this is o.r. and no basis for altering the article, but it warrants further investigation, and more sources than just roud.--Mongreilf (talk) 15:39, 5 February 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Hi, I've reworked the article to include the sources mentioned (and not) in the footnotes and references so there's only one citation needed now. I had the same impression of the Steve Roud para that seemed to dismiss these older claims and pan-national references by attributing the pov to him. Hope that's okay. Julia Rossi (talk) 07:46, 9 February 2008 (UTC)
thread_title:  Alternative Sources 

message: Hmmm, is there an article that discusses expressions like this in general? E.g. Latin absit omen, Yiddish keyn aynore, Italian tocca ferro and so on. I was thinking of added a section to this article on that: to my mind it seems appropriate, but it also seems like the kind of thing that other wikipedians might not agree with me on. So what do you think: does that info belong in this article, and if not, where does it belong? --Iustinus 19:42, 23 June 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: Somewhere i saw a reference to people touching metal when it became an important material. Feel free to put your information in the article maybe under "Other" - especially if you can find a reference for it or I'll take a look for that ref again. Julia Rossi (talk) 07:34, 15 February 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Here;s one used by the writer though, "Touch Gold and Touch Wood! He is enjoying this great fortune." in Sri Lanka's Sunday Observer here if that suits let's put it in the article then.Julia Rossi (talk) 07:41, 15 February 2008 (UTC)

text: In America we say "Knock on Wood" then knock on our heads.  Go Figure!! –— Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.131.226.10 (talk) 15:32, 3 March 2006 (UTC)
replies: text: What the fuck are you talking about? Go figure what? Greg343 (talk) 06:55, 25 October 2009 (UTC)

text: My mother does it, actually, and so have a few of my co-workers but only when there is no wood around to knock on. I live on the East Coast but I don't know whether it's a regional thing or not. I've never thought about it. MultK (talk) 04:42, 28 March 2010 (UTC)
replies: text: In Britain it is done as a joke if no "other" wood is around.  (wooden-headed is a slang name for a thick or stupid person so it is a self-deprecating joke because you've just said touch wood to avoid tempting fate, before checking that there is wood to touch!). -- PBS (talk) 11:56, 16 July 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Parallel expressions 

message: These could be tidied up by someone who can make the link format work so that instead of repeats, you get abc etc and the like. I've been attempting but it just stands in the text looking u-ugleh – also unsure of how best to cite Roud's book. Be my guest, anyone. Julia Rossi (talk) 01:14, 13 February 2008 (UTC)
thread_title: References

message: I am from Iran. and the term Hit on wood and knock on wood is used frequently.
It must also be used in neighboring cultures. I myself couldn't find reliable sources in English. Can someone find some?  — Preceding unsigned comment added by Pouyakhani (talk • contribs) 11:37, 11 January 2012 (UTC)
thread_title:  In Eastern cultures! 

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thread_title:  External links modified 

message: As a lifelong American-speaker (see? Doesn’t that just sound so American?) I must take exception to the claim that (all or most) English-speakers say “touch wood”. I’ve only heard “touch” used by British folks. Ok, maybe others, too - but not native American speakers. (And, no, not Native American speakers either. ;-) )
I think that first sentence should be changed. Rob Cranfill (talk) 01:41, 30 October 2021 (UTC)
thread_title:  “Touch” .vs. “knock” wood, in America