Crossing Your Fingers When You Lie.

Factual Questions
1

Why do people cross their fingers when they lie (or at least why did they used to do this)?

Thank you in advance to all who reply :slight_smile:

2

Here’s what our own Dex had to say about it once…

http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mfingercross.html

3

Here’s what our own Dex had to say about it once…

http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mfingercross.html

…and Wikipedia…

Gesture - Wikipedia (scroll down to “crossed fingers”)

…says that holding them behind your back while doing it gives it the opposite meaning.

I’ve heard it called the “Kings X”. This site says that by making it you are keeping yourself “safe” (presumably from whatever misfortune would befall you for lying).

http://www.inquiry.net/outdoor/summer/tag/kings_x.htm

4

In German, there is no equivalent gesture to “crossing your fingers” to wish good luck; however, I’ve always heard that crossing your fingers behind your back when lying would serve as kind of lightning rod against God’s punishment (even when taking an oath), at least in catholic Bavaria. I don’t know how old this belief/custom is, though.

5

I beg to differ. What about “pressing thumbs”?

6

But that’s a different gesture. Okay, I guess my wording was ambigous, sorry. I meant that you don’t use the gesture of crossing fingers to wish good luck, instead you press your thumbs.

7

Ahhh, ok, makes sense :wink:

8

Come on, I think God can see what you’re doing behind your back. :slight_smile:

9

Hey, whoever said religious superstition/beliefs needs to make sense? You might as well ask why the Chinese demons are stupid enough to run straight into a wall, and not go around the corner.