touch wood, grind to a halt, on a roll, the luck of the draw, luck out: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 idioms from Idioms set 26. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

1. touch wood · idiom/tʌtʃ wʊd/

   said to avoid bad luck

   I’ve never had an accident while driving, touch wood.

   Origin: From ancient pagan tree worship — touching wood was believed to summon the spirits inside to protect from bad luck.

2. grind to a halt · idiom/ɡraɪnd tu ə hɔlt/

   to come to a complete stop, often unexpectedly

   The factory’s production ground to a halt after a major power outage.

   Origin: From the 1800s industrial age — when grinding machinery jammed, all factory production stopped completely.

3. on a roll · idiom/ɔn ə roʊl/

   experiencing continuous success

   Ever since she started her business, she’s been on a roll.

   Origin: American 20th-century gambling expression — describes consecutive winning rolls of the dice at a craps table.

4. the luck of the draw · idiom/ðə lʌk əv ðə drɔ/

   pure chance determines the outcome

   It was just the luck of the draw that he won the lottery.

   Origin: From card games — your fate depended entirely on which card you randomly drew from the deck.

5. luck out · idiom/lʌk aʊt/

   to be very lucky

   We lucked out and got front-row seats at the concert.

   Origin: An American slang phrase from the late 1800s — meaning to succeed through pure good fortune alone.