In diminishing order of plausibility, these are: There are many other possible derivations in circulation, mostly referring to the 'good luck' message. So it is possible that when an actor is told to 'break a leg', he/she may just be being exhorted to put on an energetic, exciting performance. "With all the break-a-leg dancing there are many who still warm to graceful soft shoe stepping."
Or break a leg trying."Īnd from the Evening State Journal, Nebraska, 1937: "Whatever the army or navy want, the Continental Roll will turn out. There are many references to the phrase used that way, which pre-date the earliest theatrical good luck charm meaning for example, from The Hammond Times, Indiana, 1942: 'Break a leg' also means 'make a strenuous effort'. The most common interpretation of 'break' in this context is 'to deviate from a straight line', as in the cricketing term 'off break', to unstraighten the leg by bending at the knee, by bowing or curtsying. That gives considerable scope for speculation over what is meant by this phrase. The word 'break' has many meanings - the OED lists 57 distinct uses of it as a verb alone. Other superstitions are that it is bad luck to whistle in a theatre, to say the final line of a play during dress rehearsal, or to say the name of 'the Scottish Play' ( Macbeth) in a theatre's green room.īreaking a leg doesn't seem to have much to do with good luck. The term 'break a leg' appears to come from the belief that one ought not to utter the words 'good luck' to an actor.īy wishing someone bad luck, it is supposed that the opposite will occur.
Theatrical types are well known for their belief in superstitions, or at least for their willingness to make a show of pretending to believe in them. What's the origin of the phrase 'Break a leg'? The phrase 'break a leg' is a jovial encouragement, said to actors for good luck before they go on stage, especially on an opening night.
Theatre and entertainment What's the meaning of the phrase 'Break a leg'?.
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