Welcome to Idiom 100, where we learn 100 commonly used idioms by native English speakers.

All of the explanations are in English, so it might be challenging for you,

but just try to imagine the meanings in your head and study hard and soon you'll be able to use these idioms in your conversations.

Is everyone ready? Let's begin.

Hello everyone! Welcome back.

Today's idiom is: keep my fingers crossed.

Keep my fingers crossed.

Hmm, crossing your fingers.

I'm not sure, do you know what that means?

Well, let's look at our fingers when they're crossed, right, cross your fingers and if you stick out your thumb, what letter is that?

It's an 'L', right?

An 'L'... 'L' says 'lucky' or 'luck'.

Oh, okay.

So, let's picture crossing your fingers, stick out your thumb and it says 'L' for 'luck'.

Oh, okay.

So, let's listen to some examples and try to understand what this idiom might mean.

You look nervous. Are you okay?

The result of the entrance exam comes out in couple of hours and I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

Lucky, okay?

The second example:

I heard you bought the big jumbo lottery tickets this year!

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that they call my number. I could really use the money!

Alright, so in both of these situations, the first example, he really wanted to pass the entrance exam

and in the second example, he really wanted to win the lottery, okay?

So, could you guess the meaning of 'cross my fingers'?

It means to really, really hope and pray that you will get something, okay?

And it's not religious, it's not a Christian thing or something like that, it's just maybe superstitious,

something we do and maybe just for fun or like a natural thing to say to show that you really want something, yeah.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my mother will give me a new iPod for Christmas.

Yeah, I really want it.

Okay, and it's similar to 'knock on wood', as far as it's just a superstition.

We don't really think that knocking on wood keeps bad things away.

It's just kind of fun to do it.

And we don't think that crossing my fingers will make something happen.

It's just a fun thing to do and if you can use 'cross my fingers' or 'keep your fingers crossed',

then it sounds very natural and you will sound like a native speaker.

So, next time you want someone to help you get your wish, you can ask them, 'Please keep your fingers crossed for me.'

Or you can offer to them, 'I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.'

Okay, so let's try using this again soon and I'll see you next time.