The article deals with folk superstitions (predictions, beliefs) common in Russian society and the stereotypical expressions. The autors show that these expressions are used with a special phatic function: their purpose is to neutralize, to smooth the effects of an uncomfortable situation.
The autors also gives examples of the "new" superstitions that imitate already known models and that were created with a special game purpose. the facts of Russian discourse are compared with the examples from the Czech language and the national specificity of the superstitions is discussed in the article.