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) is the traditional German miners' greeting. It describes the hope of the miners : "es mögen sich Erzgänge auftun" ("may lodes [of ore] be opened") which is short for "Ich wünsche Dir Glück, tu einen neuen Gang auf" ("I wish you luck, open a new lode"), because, when mining for ore, without prospecting, no-one could predict with certainty ...
A good luck charm is an amulet or other item that is believed to bring good luck. Almost any object can be used as a charm. Coins, horseshoes and buttons are examples, as are small objects given as gifts, due to the favorable associations they make. Many souvenir shops have a range of tiny items that may be used as good luck charms.
They define luck belief as the perception that good luck is "a somewhat stable characteristic that consistently favors some people but not others". [40] They define disbelief in luck as "a tendency to agree with the rational view of luck as random and unreliable" (p. 490).
[55] [57] Tuisto appears to mean "twin" or "double-being", suggesting that he was a hermaphroditic being capable of impregnating himself. [58] [59] [60] These gods are only attested in Germania. [61] It is not possible to decide based on Tacitus's report whether the myth was meant to describe an origin of the gods or of humans. [59]
A "Jonah" is a long-established expression among sailors, meaning a person (either a sailor or a passenger) who is bad luck, which is based on the Biblical prophet Jonah. Clergymen are considered bad luck, as they are all of Jonah's ilk. Redheads and women are also to be avoided as passengers. [3]
An alternate operatic good luck charm originating from Italy is the phrase In bocca al lupo! (In the mouth of the wolf) with the response Crepi! or Crepi il lupo! (May it [the wolf] die!). Amongst actors "Break a leg" is the usual phrase, while for professional dancers the traditional saying is merde (French, meaning "shit").
Polterabend (Polish: pultrować) is a German and to a lesser extent Polish, Austrian and Swiss wedding custom in which, on the night before the wedding, the guests break porcelain to bring luck to the couple's marriage. The belief in the effectiveness of this custom is expressed by the old adage: "Shards bring luck" (German: Scherben bringen ...
Crossed fingers are used superstitiously to wish for good luck or to nullify a promise. Cuckoo sign, touched or screw loose. In North America, making a circling motion of the index finger at the ear or temple signifies that the person "has a screw loose", i.e. is speaking nonsense or is crazy. [8] [13]