-
to be lucky; to experience luck or a fortunate event when one has been experiencing many problems or instances of bad luck
* The house caught on fire, the dog died, and the car stopped working. Why
can’t we catch a break?
to catch a break
-
to have many problems or troubles; to not be happening as one wanted or intended
* This office expansion is going wrong in every way. Do you think we made the
wrong decision?
to be going wrong
-
a long period of good or bad luck; a period of time when many good
things or many bad things happen
* The team has been on a winning streak and all the players are in a good mood.
streak
-
fortune; positive or negative happenings caused by chance, not by skill or
one’s actions
* This card game is a game of luck, but chess is a game of strategy.
luck
-
a structure formed by two long, vertical metal or wooden poles, with
many smaller pieces connecting them, creating steps for someone to climb up
high, and thought to bring bad luck if one walks underneath it while it is leaning
against something
* This tree is too tall to harvest the apples while standing on the ground. We’ll
need a ladder to reach the higher branches.
ladder
-
to meet someone by chance, without planning to meet
that person
* I hope I never cross paths with my ex-girlfriend because she’s still angry with
me for breaking up with her.
to cross paths with
-
having beliefs that things happen for supernatural reasons,
which cannot be explained by the laws of nature
* Quincy is very superstitious and believes that wearing this necklace protects
him from evil.
superstitious
-
a phrase meaning that one disagrees with what another
person says, used before restating one’s opinion
* Say what you will about untested herbs, but this tea always makes me feel
better when I’m sick.
say what you will
-
something done to prevent something bad from happening, or to
protect oneself from something bad that might happen
* During the stormy winter months, it’s important to take precautions like having
bottled water, canned food, flashlights, batteries, blankets and a battery-powered
radio.
precaution
-
the dried foot of a rabbit, still covered with fur (hair), often kept for
good luck
* Race car drivers sometimes hang a rabbit’s foot from their rearview mirror and
even kiss it for good luck before an important race.
rabbit’s foot
-
a clover plant with four leaves, instead of the three leaves that
are much more common, considered to bring good luck to the finder
* Scientists say that there is one four-leaf clover for every 10,000 three-leaf
clovers.
four-leaf clover
-
a u-shaped piece of metal that is nailed or glued to a horse’s foot to
protect it against heavy use, sometimes hung above a door for good luck
* Patrick believes horseshoes must be hung with the ends pointing up to bring
the best luck.
horseshoe
-
the thirteenth day of any month when that day is a
Friday, thought to bring bad luck
* Many people refuse to fly on Friday the thirteenth, because they think the
airplane is more likely to crash then.
Friday the thirteenth
-
to take a risk; to do something that may create an
opportunity for something bad to happen
* Why would you take your chances with a home birth, when you could just as
easily go to a hospital and receive medical care from a trained doctor?
to take (one’s) chances
-
a small item that is carried around because someone
believes it brings good luck
* This little rock is a good luck charm. Whenever it’s in my pocket, good things
happen.
good luck charm
|
|
