Wherever you’re from, there’s a good chance that when talking about how well something is going, you start to feel a little uneasy until you knock on or touch something made of wood. Par exemple… Tout va bien pour le moment, je touche du bois.Įverything is going well at the moment, knock on wood. – Je viens de me marier, j’ai un emploi intéressant et bien payé … ma vie est parfaite. – I just got married, I have an interesting and well-paid job … my life is perfect. When there’s no wood around, the French say je touche du bois while touching their own heads. Note that une tête de bois = stubborn / hard-headed person.
Toucher la peau du singe (literally, 'touch the monkey’s skin') is used for exactly the same reason, but you say it while touching a friend’s head.
