to rub for luck
1
6.3
- phrasal verb
- He reached out to rub for luck the rabbit's foot on his keychain before entering the interview room.
Examples
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Before every exam, she would always rub for luck by touching her favorite pen.
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Don't rub for luck!
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Superstitious fans often rub for luck the nose of a statue at the stadium before the big game.
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She always rubs for luck before an exam.
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Many people believe that rubbing the lucky rabbit's foot will bring them good fortune.
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Before the game, the player always rubs his lucky charm for luck.
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During the festival, children eagerly rub the lucky tree in hopes of receiving good fortune.
Synonyms
You say it to try to stop bad luck after saying something good
To throw a one-pound coin into water for luck
Antonyms
How Superstitious
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'rub' (apply pressure) + 'for' (with the purpose of) + 'luck' (good fortune) yields 'rub (an object) in order to obtain luck'. This ritualistic action is common across languages and cultures, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents should be able to infer the idiom's meaning.
Etymology
Rub for luck may come from the simple idea that touching a special object can pass good fortune to you. People still rub a rabbit's foot or a statue's nose hoping for luck, so the phrase means 'to touch or rub an object in the hope of bringing good fortune'.