superstition

• Get Off on the Wrong Foot

  To begin an activity, relationship, or interaction in a way that creates immediate problems or a negative impression.

• Get Out of Bed on the Wrong Side

  To be in a bad mood from the moment you wake up, often for no apparent reason.

• Speak of the devil

  This phrase is used when a person who was just being discussed suddenly appears.

• Read the tea leaves

  To try to predict future events or outcomes by interpreting current signs, trends, or subtle indications.

• Give someone the evil eye

  To look at someone with an angry, hostile, or envious glare, often implying a desire to cause them harm or misfortune.

• Born under a lucky star

  To be destined for good fortune and success from birth.

• Lucky star

  A source of good fortune or a destiny that brings a person good luck.

• Cross your fingers

  To hope strongly for good luck or a favorable outcome.

• Curse of the pharaohs

  The belief that disturbing ancient Egyptian mummies or tombs will bring misfortune, illness, or death upon those involved.

• Touch wood

  An exclamation used to ward off bad luck after making a boast or expressing a hope, implying a desire for the current good fortune to continue.

• Bad omen

  An event or sign that is believed to foretell something negative or unfortunate.

• Knock on wood

  To tap a wooden surface, often while speaking, to ward off bad luck or to ensure a current good fortune continues.

• Lucky charm

  An object believed to bring good fortune or protection to its owner.

• Don't jinx it

  This idiom is used to caution against speaking about a positive outcome before it's certain, out of fear that doing so might invoke bad luck and prevent it from happening.

• Tempt fate

  To deliberately take an unnecessary risk or behave in a way that invites danger or bad luck, as if challenging destiny itself.

• Old wives' tale

  A traditional belief or superstition, often medically or scientifically unfounded, passed down orally, especially among older women.

• Rabbit's foot

  A rabbit's foot is a traditional talisman, believed to bring good luck to its owner.

• The evil eye

  A malevolent look or glare believed in many cultures to inflict harm, misfortune, or bad luck upon the person it is directed at.

• Black cat crossing your path

  An omen of impending misfortune or bad luck, traditionally believed to bring adverse events.

• Seven years bad luck

  The superstition that breaking a mirror will lead to seven consecutive years of misfortune for the person responsible.

• Throw salt over your shoulder

  To perform a superstitious ritual, typically after spilling salt, to ward off bad luck or evil spirits.

• Walk under a ladder

  To pass directly beneath a leaning ladder, an action widely regarded as a superstitious act that invites misfortune or bad luck.

• Keep your fingers crossed

  To hope intensely for a positive outcome or good luck.

• To be born under a bad sign

  To be inherently unlucky or destined for misfortune and hardship throughout one's life.

• Have an itchy foot

  To have a strong desire or restless urge to travel, explore new places, or move somewhere different.

• black magic

  Magic that is used for malicious or selfish purposes, often invoking evil forces or spirits.

• A harbinger of doom

  Something or someone that signals the imminent arrival of disaster, catastrophe, or a terrible fate.

• An omen

  A sign or event believed to predict a future good or evil occurrence.

• A silver bullet

  A simple, magical solution to a complex problem, often one that is highly effective or universally applicable.

• Ill omen

  A sign or event believed to predict misfortune or evil.

• Harbinger of doom

  A person or thing that signals the imminent arrival of disaster or misfortune.

• Portent of disaster

  A sign or warning that something terrible is about to happen.

• Good omen

  Something that is believed to be a sign of future success or good fortune.