/inkroˈtʃare le ˈdita/ lit. ‘to cross the fingers’
Italian idiom, everyday. To hope that things turn out well.
Draft Not yet checked by a native Italian speaker.
How do people use Incrociare le dita
?
Everyday Italian and the same gesture as in English, often said aloud with the fingers actually crossed. “Incrociamo le dita” (let’s cross our fingers) is the usual form, and “tieni le dita incrociate per me” asks someone to do it on your behalf. Dita is the irregular plural of dito, so it takes the feminine article le.
Also said tenere le dita incrociate
Incrociare le dita
in real sentences
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Incrociamo le dita.
Let’s cross our fingers.
Tatoeba, sentence by bailujia, translation by CK, CC BY 2.0 FR
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Tenete le dita incrociate per me!
Keep your fingers crossed for me!
Tatoeba, sentence by Guybrush88, translation by korobo4ka, CC BY 2.0 FR
Where does Incrociare le dita
come from?
The Italian is a straight match for English and French, as English Wiktionary notes. For the gesture itself, English Wiktionary gives one explanation, a small hidden sign of the cross, but nobody has a dated first use and the theory isn’t proven.
Mistakes learners make with Incrociare le dita
Using it where Italians say “in bocca al lupo”. Before an exam or an interview, the normal wish is “in bocca al lupo”, answered with “crepi il lupo”; crossed fingers is more for hoping something works out.
Other Italian idioms like Incrociare le dita
Spot a mistake in Incrociare le dita
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