From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishcross your fingerscross your fingersused to say that you hope something will happen in the way you want She hung the washing out, then crossed her fingers for a dry day. The exam’s at two. Will you keep your fingers crossed for me? → cross
Examples from the Corpus
cross your fingers• Always ready to knock on wood, throw salt over my shoulder, bite my tongue, cross my fingers.• Careta held up a hand and crossed his fingers.• Jessica skipped and prayed and crossed her fingers.• As the others crossed their fingers and held their breath, he gently eased away the back plate.• At this point, they can only stand back, cross their fingers and hope for fireworks.• People vote, cross their fingers, and hope for the best.• This will pass, I told myself, crossing my fingers; everything passes.• A memo said that doctors were told "with crossed fingers" that the company was doing safety studies.• Scientists and engineers have buttoned their lip, and crossed their fingers that the reckoning wouldn't come in their own day.cross your fingerscross your fingersHOPE a) to hope that something will happen the way you want We’re keeping our fingers crossed that she’s going to be OK. b) to secretly put one finger over another finger, because you are telling a lie – done especially by children ‘He’s nice, ’ said Laura, crossing her fingers under the table. → fingerExamples from the Corpus
keeping ... fingers crossed• A lot of people are keeping their fingers crossed for him.• Widnes centre Dave Hanley will be keeping his fingers crossed that history doesn't repeat itself tomorrow.• We might be forgiven for keeping our fingers crossed that the Council Tax will represent a reprieve.• And you can not help keeping your fingers crossed for him.• Bingham is keeping his fingers crossed that Gray's withdrawal is the only one.• Meanwhile, supply sergeants throughout the battalion were keeping their fingers crossed.