What does "fingers crossed" mean? In what circumstances could I use it?

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

"Fingers crossed" is taken from the hand gesture of crossing one's first and middle finger to indicate that one hopes things go well. It's a bit of a superstitious gesture/expression that means "may all go well". That's the meaning intended by the speaker in this video. Ex: Fingers crossed that I won't be late to work tomorrow. Ex: I hope we manage to get concert tickets! Fingers crossed.

How do native speakers use this expression?

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Popular Q&As

01/08

1
What's the main difference between being "blessed" and "graced"?
The difference between using it this way: "to be blessed" or "to be graced" - is that when you are "blessed", you have received a "blessing". A "blessing" is a gift, or something, that you are grateful to have or experience. "Graced" means to bring honour and to make something more attractive. Ex: The CEO graced us with his presence last night. Ex: I feel so blessed to be here with you all. Ex: The awards the boy band received graced the studio hallway. Ex: What a blessed day!

2
What's "work out" mean?
Here, "work out" means for something to have a good and specific result, or for something to be accomplished. It can also mean planning or devising something! Ex: I'm so glad our meet-up worked out! It was great to see you again. => I'm so glad we were able to meet up! It was great to see you again. Ex: We'll work out all the details later. => plan Ex: It didn't work out with John. We broke up.

3
What does "all of a sudden" mean?
That's a good question! The phrase "all of a sudden" is another way to say "suddenly", which describes an action that happens immediately without expectation. Ex: He walked outside and all of a sudden it started to rain.

4
What does "making" refer to here?
The word "making" means to create or produce something. In this context, "making" is used to refer to creating an annual tradition out of the beach trip. Ex: What are you making with that wood? Ex: She is making dinner.

5
Do American students usually carry tissue around?
Some do! I usually had a small pack of tissues when I was a high school and college student. It really depends on the student. Most American classrooms have tissues, so if we needed one and didn't have any with us, we would use those in the classrooms. I don't think they carry tissues with them for elementary students since they are offered in classrooms.

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