Online Reference For Body, Mind & Spirit

Term: Wind

DEFINITION:
Sailors had a vested interest in encouraging the wind when they were becalmed. Scratching the mast of the ship was one method. An alternative method, though fraught with danger, was to whistle softly. Whistling loudly risked causing a gale. You could also pay the elements for a wind by tossing a coin overboard.
SOURCE:  The Encyclopedia of Superstitions, by Richard Webster