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Reader question:
"In this passage from a web chat with a friend -
'Tomorrow, my first job interview is coming. I'm nervous. I don't want to
fail. Please keep your fingers crossed for me and wish me good luck' -
where does 'fingers crossed' mean exactly? Where does this phrase come
from?
My comments:
This is an interesting question to research into, but
first, a quick answer to the first question: "Keep your fingers crossed
for me" means exactly the same as "wish me good luck."
As to the phrase's origin, I regret to say that my research so far has
not yielded a satisfactory answer. The Random House Dictionary of Popular
Proverbs and Sayings says the saying "originated in the 1920s", which to
me is doubtful - I feel, without conclusive evidence of course, that the
saying must have been longer in existence. If readers of this column find
out more about it, please write. I'd like to know.
The same Random House dictionary explains the meaning of "keep one's
fingers crossed thus: "Hope for success. The saying derives from the
superstition that bad luck may be averted by making the sign of the
cross."
The cross refers to the crucifix in the Christian religion. The cross
is an informal word for the crucifix on which Jesus Christ was crucified
(nailed to the crucifix and let to die). Jesus Christ ("christos" in
Greek, meaning anointed), otherwise called the son of God, the Messiah,
the Savior, in real life was known as Jesus of Nazareth (a village in the
hills to the north of Jerusalem). The record of Christianity, the religion
founded on the life and teachings of Jesus may be checkered one (they
burned Giordano Bruno, as I mentioned in the last column, among other
things) but Jesus of Nazareth was an enlightened being, much in the same
way as were the Prophet of Islam Mohammed (meaning the Praised One in
Arabic) and the founder of Buddhism Gautama Siddhartha (meaning "wish
fulfilled" in Sanskrit), who became Shakyamuni (The Sage of the Shakyas)
Buddha (The Enlightened One).
Anyways, people "cross their fingers" to form a sign of the cross to
ward off evil, dispel bad luck or express hope that something nice will
happen in the way they want.
This expression must probably (and plausibly) have been first used
among religious people, who might also go a step or two further and "say a
prayer" (Say a prayer for me and God bless you, my child - Angela's Ashes
by Frank McCourt) or even "light a candle" (Mam says, you'll be all right,
Dennis. I'll light a candle for you - same source).
Non-religious people, though not going so far as to "say a prayer",
have obviously succeeded in claiming "fingers crossed" a phrase of their
own. In other words, it won't be a sacrilege for you and me to say we are
crossing our fingers for our friend facing a daunting first job interview.
Finally an example in the news.
In today's Guardian, a story (The good divorce guide) inspired from the
long and increasingly acrimonious split between former Beatles star Paul
McCartney and his wife Heather Mills contained the following passage:
"Jeremy Levison, the divorce lawyer for tax expert Kenneth McFarlane -
ordered by the Lords to pay his wife ?250,000 a year for life after their
16-year marriage failed - said after the verdict: '1. don't marry. 2. If
you do, make sure your other half is as wealthy as you are. 3. Do a
prenuptial agreement and keep your fingers crossed.'"
"Not all lawyers give such excellent advice", of course, as the article
added approvingly.
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