The cross is an ancient symbol in many cultures and religions. It is closely linked, of course, with the Christian church. Scandinavians also used crosses to mark the edges of their territory. And the cross was a sacred symbol to the Egyptians and to the Aztecs in Mexico. Today, the word cross is used in many expressions that seem to have little direct connection to religious beliefs.

For example, one way of wishing good luck to someone is to tell him that you will “keep your fingers crossed” for him.

Sometimes you may even cross two of your fingers when you wish him luck. But, more often, just saying the expression is believed to be enough to help bring success.

Crossing the fingers when making a wish may be a tradition many hundreds of years old. But most experts think the expression is an American one that began about ninety years ago. It probably has its roots in the ancient Christian belief that making the sign of the cross would keep away evil spirits and bad luck.

Children often cross their fingers when they tell a small lie. It is an old belief that lies will not be punished if told while the fingers are crossed. Many children have unhappily discovered that crossing their fingers no such protection.

Children often use another expression, “cross my heart”, when they say they are telling the truth. A child usually will make an X over his heart with his finger while saying it.

Language expert Charles Earle Frunk says “ cross my heart ”, and crossing the heart with the finger, probably come from the Roman Catholic Church tradition of making the sign of the cross. Mr. Frunk also says that earlier in this century, children in the United States often expanded the simple saying. They said, “Cross my heart and hope to die. And hope the cat will spit in your eye.”

Cross is used in many other ways. If you deceive someone or confuse them, you are “crossing them up”.

And you might become “cross as two sticks” at someone. This old expression means you are very angry. What do two sticks have to do with the situation? If you put one stick across the middle of the other stick, you have a cross. And the word cross is another way to say angry. So if you are as cross as two sticks, you are very angry.

Another expression, “to cross swords”, sounds like something from the past. It recalls the period when knights in armor seemed to speed most of their time fighting. You can imagine two angry knights whose swords cross during a battle. But the expression no longer means a noisy fight with swords. It describes a less violent fight with words instead of swords. You “cross swords” with someone when you argue or debate an issue with him.

在很多西方英語語言文化和宗教里，“十字”都是一個源遠流長的象征性符號。它與基督教會的緊密關系是眾所周知的。斯堪的納維亞人也以十字符號標記他們領土的邊界。對于埃及人和墨西哥的阿茲特克人，它都是神圣的象征。而今，很多日常習語里都含有“cross”這個詞，不過這些習語看起來與宗教信仰并沒什么直接關聯。

例如，如果你想祝福某人好運，做法之一就是告訴他你會為他“keep your fingers crossed”。

有時你真的會把兩個手指（通常是一只手的食指和中指）交叉起來。但更為普遍的情況下，人們認為口頭表達就足夠靈驗了。

許愿祈福時交叉手指的傳統也許有數百年的歷史了。但大部分專家學者認定這種做法是90多年前由美國人發明的。追溯起來，它很可能來自古老的基督教信念——畫個十字型符號就能驅走惡魔和霉運。

當孩子們編造小小的謊言時，他們也會交叉手指。這來自一個古老的說法——如果撒謊時手指交叉在一起，則可免受懲罰。許多孩子如此這般之后會沮喪地發現，這一招并不像傳說中那么靈驗。

孩子們還有另一種說法，當他們起誓自己說的全部是真話時，他們會說“cross my heart”。通常情況下，一個孩子會一邊說一邊用手指在胸前畫個X形圖案。

語言學家查理斯·厄爾·弗蘭克認為，“畫十字起誓”的說法和在胸前畫十字的做法，很可能來自羅馬天主教會畫十字符號的傳統。弗蘭克先生還談到，20世紀早期，美國兒童常常把這個簡單的說法發展成歌謠，他們唱道：“胸前畫個十字，否則不得好死。讓貓咪的口水飆到你的眼睛里。”

“Cross”一詞還有很多其他用法。如果你欺騙或迷惑別人，這種行為可以叫做“crossing them up”。

有時，你會對某人“cross as two sticks”。這個古老的說法意思是你正怒火沖天。但是，“兩根棍子”在這里有什么含義？看，假如你將一根棍子橫抵住另一個棍子中部，就搭成了一個十字形。而“cross”一詞正是“氣憤”的另一種說法。所以如果你氣得“像兩根死死抵住的棍子”，你的憤怒之情可真是不一般了。

還有一個習語，“to cross swords”，聽起來頗有點古典味道。我們好像回到了古代——騎士們披甲執銳，終日沐浴在刀光劍影之中。稍加聯想，兩個勇猛的騎士決一死戰、寶劍交錯電石火光的場面似乎就在眼前。然而今天，這個說法已經與打打殺殺的事兒無關了。人們用它來形容另一場不甚暴力的爭斗——用言語交鋒，以唇為槍舌為劍，當你和某人討論或爭辯什么問題時，可以說你在“cross swords”。