# Silly supersitions that you practice **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 9, 2002, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-supersitions-that-you-practice/127584 "2002-09-09T00:22:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angel_of_the_lord/32/2949_2.png) [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_the_Lord)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-supersitions-that-you-practice/127584/21 "2002-09-10T06:15:31Z")
I have a thing about “driving karma.” See, if I let someone in even though I’m under no obligation to do so, if I stop at a yellow light instead of speeding up slightly to make it, or if I follow a stupid traffic law at 3 AM that most people wouldn’t _ever_ follow, I incur good driving karma. There isn’t really bad driving karma, but rather an expenditure of good karma. For instance, if I were to be going 10 mph over the speed limit, see a cop, manage to get to only 7 mph above the limit when I pass him, and don’t get pulled over, that’s a major expenditure of good driving karma. I have to incur more in order to make things balance out. If they don’t balance out, something happens–I get pulled over, I get in an accident, I lock my keys in the car, whatever. And I FIRMLY believe in this. Yeah, I’m nuts. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-supersitions-that-you-practice/127584/22 "2002-09-10T12:55:54Z")
I try not to step on cracks in the sidewalk. I also clink glasses when drinking with friends. The really weird one…I always whistle while passing a graveyard. ---
**Author:** ![Go\_alien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9d8465/32.png) [@Go\_alien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Go_alien)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-supersitions-that-you-practice/127584/23 "2002-09-10T13:21:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ralph124c \* > \*\* The really weird one…I always whistle while passing a graveyard. \*\* I often whistle when passing wind…🙂 ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-supersitions-that-you-practice/127584/24 "2002-09-10T15:41:04Z")
I get the urge to knock on wood, but I resist, because I _know_ that all superstition is bunk. I have successfully rid myself of all other superstitions (I come from a very superstitious family), but for some reason, I still feel funny talking about something that I hope will happen in case I jinx it. ---
**Author:** ![Riboflavin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Riboflavin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riboflavin)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-supersitions-that-you-practice/127584/25 "2002-09-10T17:01:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by GopherGod72 \* > Oh jeesh… I used to work at a hobby store that sold RPG supplies. bugged me to no end people going through every die rolling to see which one rolled highest. :rolleyes: \*\* Fools, the lot of them. Dice don’t roll the same all the time, it only makes sense to check right before you use them. Come to think of it, I also knock on wood, but that has more to do with working as a sysadmin and software tester than superstition. I mean, anytime you say ‘OK, this is working, it will take me another hour or so and I’ll be done’ you end up in the office until 3AM pulling your hair out. Knocking on wood after saying something positive just makes you feel better about the inevitable breakage, no one thinks it actually stops the problem. ---
**Author:** ![Kiting\_Illini](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e274bd/32.png) [@Kiting\_Illini](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiting_Illini)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-supersitions-that-you-practice/127584/26 "2002-09-10T17:59:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Khadaji \* > \*\* Do you know the origin of it? \*\* I have done a google search on it without much luck. (Guess I should have said ‘rabbit, rabbit, rabbit’ first;) ) All I was able to find out is that it appears to come from the UK, and that there are many variations in appropriate times, words used etc. If anyone can find more, I’d be interested to hear… ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-supersitions-that-you-practice/127584/27 "2002-09-10T18:21:32Z")
I lift my feet whenever I drive over train tracks. I think I am keeping the universe in balance or something by doing this. I use to hold my breath whenever I drove by a cemetary, now I honk and wave. It’s just more polite. I really like the \*rabbit, rabbit, rabbit \* yarn. I think I will start that with my kids. My husband’s cousin, nice girl in a major anal retentive uber cheapskate kind of way, will never give her boyfriend a pair of shoes because then he will \*walk \* away from her. It happened to her. :rolleyes: And, this I learned at camp, whenever sitting around the campfire and smoke starts to blow in your face you must cover your face and say " I hate rabbits, I hate rabbits." I have no idea why. ---
**Author:** ![5-HT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/5/f19dbf/32.png) [@5-HT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/5-HT)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-supersitions-that-you-practice/127584/28 "2002-09-10T18:23:35Z")
I will under no circumstances use a white disposable lighter. If one comes into my possession, I will destroy it. ---
**Author:** ![MONTY2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/53a042/32.png) [@MONTY2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MONTY2)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-supersitions-that-you-practice/127584/29 "2002-09-10T20:16:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sköt \* > \*\*I do the “knocking on wood” thing, but my mother-in-law has the weirdest one: if she gives you a sharp bladed object (knife, saw blade, etc…) she insists that you pay her (a penny is all it takes, but last Xmas she gave me some saw blades for my cut saw and all I had was a $2 coin…). > > Does anyone know where this strange tradition originates from? \*\* Is she Latin? My mom and I do this too. I’ll ask her specifically why but the way it was explained to me is that it has to do with not wanting to ruin the relationship with the person in question. Giving a gift represents the wishes one has for that person. Something like: Sharps are used to cut. Gifts are representative of gift givers wishes for gift receiver. Giving sharps as a gift = wishing to sever ties. ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-supersitions-that-you-practice/127584/30 "2002-09-10T22:06:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Soup\_du\_jour \* > \*\*These aren’t really superstitions as such. They’re more like habits, as I made them all up. Oh well, call me crazy. > > The first two foods I eat every new year are a carrot, followed by an M&M. After this, usually a few more M&Ms… 😉 > > I always put an odd number of ice cubes in any drink that requires them. When I’m fixing drinks for others, I do it to their drinks, too. I have no idea why. > > When walking up/down stairs, I must take a number of steps equal to a power of 2. Also, it must be in decending order of numbers. For example, if there are ten steps, I’d go 2,2,1,1,1,1,1,1. If this is impossible, I put two feet on a step to “restart” the sequence. It sounds OCD, but seriously, it’s not! > > I always clasp my belt twice when I get dressed in the morning. Once when I put on my pants. Another time when I tuck in my shirt. Strange… > > That’s all I can think of right off the bat. I’m sure that there are others. \*\* Hmmm. Does it bother you if you can’t do those things? Because if it does, it might actually be OCD. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2002, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-supersitions-that-you-practice/127584/31 "2002-09-10T23:21:28Z")
I continue to believe that if I keep posting on the SDMB long enough, and flirting with her, **Guinistasia** will eventually marry me. I know, it’s just a foolish superstition… ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2002, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-supersitions-that-you-practice/127584/32 "2002-09-11T04:19:57Z")
I do the rabbit thing (when I remember), except I grew up only saying rabbit two times. Perhaps I have had less luck as a result? My own parents are not at all superstitious, although my grandparents were. What really did me in, though, was my college roommate, who had superstitions for _everything_, and I picked up a lot from her. Most of them involved avoiding the evil eye in some way. Don’t even give a boyfriend/girlfriend a watch as a gift. This “puts time” on the relationship, and you will part soon after. Eye twitching – this one is easy to remember, because it’s Left for Love, and Right for Spite. If your left eye is twitching, someone is thinking about you with love, and if it is the right eye, someone is thinking about you spitefully. Bread and butter – you say this when you are walking with another person, and something comes between you – a lamp post, street sign, another person, etc. If you don’t say Bread and Butter, you will have a fight. Never give a purse or wallet as a gift without putting a coin in it. If you give someone an empty purse, you are cursing them to have money troubles. When you toast, the glass must be in your right hand. Putting the glass back on the table without sipping from it after the toast is bad luck. Lost objects – either go with St. Anthony (St. Anthony, St. Anthony, look around, something is lost that must be found), or you can try the spider. Say “spider, spider, spin your web” and (I was never really clear on this part, but according to my NaNa …) your household spider will then spin an invisible web, leading you to your car keys or glasses or whatever else you misplaced. If you say this, and then look in the first place that pops into your head, that’s where you’ll find the missing object. For brides – you must tuck a tiny pair of nail scissors into your bridal bouquet. The scissors will “cut” the evil eye, should anyone try to cast it on you on your wedding day. My own personal sports superstitions are myriad, but the most effective one is that I won’t watch the opening kick-off at a football game (I’ll leave the room or the stands or wherever I’m watching from for a few minutes). If I watch, we always lose. If I don’t watch, the team is on their own. Do I believe in these? Not really (except for the football one, I’ve carried those Buffalo Bills through quite a few seasons with that), but I enjoy doing them because they’re rituals that I associate with my family and heritage. ---
**Author:** ![Caught\_Work](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@Caught\_Work](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caught_Work)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2002, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-supersitions-that-you-practice/127584/33 "2002-09-11T05:55:41Z")
I will not get out of bed in the morning unless the last two digits of the time are divisble by 5. So if it’s 07:21, I’ll wait for 4 minutes, which means I nap for about 4 and half, which by then it’s 7:26, so another 4 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![hesredbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/9fc348/32.png) [@hesredbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hesredbird)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2002, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-supersitions-that-you-practice/127584/34 "2002-09-11T08:26:41Z")
I have to look at this little green light on a telephone pole as I am driving to work every morning. I think it has something to do with cable TV (the light, not the need to look at it). ---
**Author:** ![Omnipresent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8c91f0/32.png) [@Omnipresent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omnipresent)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2002, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-supersitions-that-you-practice/127584/35 "2002-09-11T09:53:43Z")
Every Tuesday I walk on eggs. Figuratively, of course. Tuesdays are bad, VERY bad. Take a look at your week and see if anything went just a little wrong. It was probably a Tuesday. I noticed this about 10 or 12 years ago and have every since walked with my head low and tried to avoid people or things that require interaction on Tuesdays. Not that I think I can prevent anything bad from happening, I just want to fly under the radar. BTW, September 11, 2001 - Tuesday!!! ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2002, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-supersitions-that-you-practice/127584/36 "2002-09-11T15:21:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Caught@Work \* > \*\*I will not get out of bed in the morning unless the last two digits of the time are divisble by 5. > So if it’s 07:21, I’ll wait for 4 minutes, which means I nap for about 4 and half, which by then it’s 7:26, so another 4 minutes. \*\* I will not get out of bed in the morning unless the first two numbers are greater than 10:00 😃 ---
**Author:** ![skot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@skot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skot)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2002, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-supersitions-that-you-practice/127584/37 "2002-09-11T16:28:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MONTY2 \* > \*\* > > Is she Latin?\*\* Nahhh, she’s French, but its not her fault…😉 ---
**Author:** ![Judith\_Prietht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b19c9b/32.png) [@Judith\_Prietht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Judith_Prietht)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2002, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-supersitions-that-you-practice/127584/38 "2002-09-11T17:22:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dinahmoe \* > \*\*Also, when toasting something, I must touch the glass to the table before taking a sip. Is this a German tradition? I may have picked it up there, as my Irish family did not teach me this. \*\* My friends and I do this, and I was told that it was a Austrian tradition. Why, I leave to another more educated (or superstitious) poster. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2002, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-supersitions-that-you-practice/127584/39 "2002-09-11T17:27:35Z")
StGermain gives us an explanation of the “Rabbits” thing in [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=134779) ---
**Author:** ![Zazie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Zazie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zazie)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2002, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-supersitions-that-you-practice/127584/40 "2002-09-11T19:08:19Z")
Skot, I do the “buying” the knives thingy too (I am French). It would “cut” your friendship to be offered knives, so you give a coin so you actually buy them from the person. I do the salt thing over the shoulder thing too, I heard that spilling the salt will call the devil, and throwing a pinch over the shoulder would blind it. I also can’t have bread turned up-side down on the table… the bottom of the bread has to be … on the bottom… I think it is from Medieval times when the executioner (sp?) had a special bread reserved for him at the table, turned up-side down, so nobody would take the very much feared executioner’s food. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-supersitions-that-you-practice/127584.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/silly-supersitions-that-you-practice/127584.md?page=3)