One of my students asked me what (Crossed Fingers) means as he watches it in some movies; so I tried to look it up in the Wiktionary, I also found other hand gestures.
Crossed Finger
“To cross one's fingers is a hand gesture used to superstitiously wish for good luck or to nullify a promise. The supposed loophole of crossing one's fingers whilst making a promise is usually exploited by school-aged children.
Crossing one's fingers, by curling the middle finger over the index, are thought to bring good luck. This dates back to when crossed fingers were used as a gesture to ward off witches and others considered being or possessing evil spirits. It is also seen as bad luck to cross your fingers on both hands.
Some believe that the gesture originates from pre-Christian times and, in many early European cultures, two people were required to use their index fingers to form the sign, one to make a wish and the other to support it. It was believed that the cross was a symbol of unity and that benign spirits dwelt at its intersecting point—to wish on a cross was a figurative way of securing the wish at the intersection until it came true. Over the years, the custom was modified so one person could make a wish on his/her own.
The 'crossed fingers' gesture is used for the logo of the United Kingdom's National Lottery.
Crossed fingers behind the back can also be used when making a promise or a claim to indicate that you are lying. This has been used in televition and movies to clue in the viewers while keeping other characters in the dark.
In some countries, other gestures symbolize the wish for luck, e.g. in Germany "pressing thumbs" means to wish somebody luck.”
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A Thumb Up
A thumbs up or thumbs down is a common gesture represented by a closed fist held with the thumb extended upward or downward in approval or disapproval respectively. These gestures have become metaphors in English: "My boss gave my proposal the thumbs-up" means that the boss approved the proposal, regardless of whether the gesture was made — indeed, the gesture itself is unlikely in a formal business setting.
The source of the gesture is obscure, but a number of origins have been proposed.
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The three-finger salute
is used by members of Scout and Guide organizations around the world when greeting other Scouts and in respect of a national flag at ceremonies. In most situations, the salute is made with the palm face out, the thumb holding down the little finger, and with the fingertips on the brow of the head. There are some variations of the salute between national Scouting organisations and also within some programme sections.
A "half-salute", known as the Scout Sign, is also used in certain situations. The hand is still held palm facing out, and the thumb holding the little finger, but the hand is held at the shoulder instead.
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