There's an odd "psychology" article in the Times. It's about jinxes, and knocking on wood to escape the jinx. Here's how it opens:
I found myself groaning as I read the article but it left a cheerful thought behind -- the notion that religious people can avoid jinxes with ease. All they have to do is reach up and rap their knuckles on their skulls. This must give them tremendous comfort.
SUPERSTITIOUS people do all sorts of puzzling things. But it’s not just the superstitious who knock on wood. From time to time, we all rap our knuckles on a nearby table if we happen to let fate-tempting words slip out. “The cancer is in remission, knock on wood,” we might say.Uh, no. Doesn't come up. Nor do I know anyone who would do this. Maybe I remember some old people doing it back in the 1950s, but not today. Must be the kind of people I know, huh?
I found myself groaning as I read the article but it left a cheerful thought behind -- the notion that religious people can avoid jinxes with ease. All they have to do is reach up and rap their knuckles on their skulls. This must give them tremendous comfort.
