Why do we knock on wood after saying something hopeful? The phrase's origin is uncertain. This episode follows an old children's game, the difference between British "touch wood" and American "knock on wood," and the ancient explanations that have no documented path to today's habit.

Sources: Anatoly Liberman for Oxford University Press (https://blog.oup.com/2015/09/etymology-gleanings-september-2015/) and Steve Roud's game hypothesis as reported by History (https://www.history.com/articles/why-do-people-knock-on-wood-for-luck), checked 3 October 2026.

This episode was produced with AI narration and scripting, with human editorial review.

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