What´s the difference between to put a hex on somebody and to put a jinx on somebody? Although offensive, are these expressions common in everyday English? Can I use either in a humorous way, without sounding rude?
A hex is usually much worse than a jinx. If you put a jinx on someone, it's meant to be a little curse, causing them to fall prey to minor misfortunes or bad luck. A hex is a magic spell, or curse, which is supposed to seriously harm the person.
Neither of them are exactly common expressions, though there's nothing wrong with them and I certainly wouldn't class them as offensive.
We usually do use them humorously. For example, if someone has a few unlucky things happen to them in a short period of time, they (or someone else) might say that they've been "jinxed".
Some people believe that if you actually say something good might happen, then you have just put a jinx on it. For example:
Person 1 - I'm going to the beach today. I'm sure it's not going to rain.
Person 2 - Oh great! You've just jinxed that! It's guaranteed to rain now!
