Break a leg facts for kids

"Break a leg" is a common English idiom that means "good luck!" It's mostly used in theatre and other performing arts. People say it to actors and musicians before they go on stage or before an audition. It's a bit of a funny saying because it doesn't mean you should actually break your leg! Its true origin is a bit of a mystery.

Where Did "Break a Leg" Come From?

People have different ideas about where this saying came from. It probably started in German, but the English version became popular in the 1920s or 1930s. At first, it wasn't just for theatre.

German and Yiddish Ideas

One popular idea is that "break a leg" comes from a German phrase: Hals- und Beinbruch. This literally means "neck and leg(bone) break." It sounds a bit scary, right? But it's actually a way to wish someone good luck!

This German phrase might have come from a Yiddish saying, hatsloche un broche, which means "success and blessing." The German phrase sounds a bit like the Yiddish one, which is why it might have become a funny way to wish someone well. Even German pilots used to say Hals- und Beinbruch to each other for good luck. But this phrase still wasn't just for the stage.

The Superstition Idea

Another theory is that "break a leg" comes from an old superstition. In some places, people believed that directly wishing someone "good luck" would actually bring bad luck! So, to trick bad spirits, they would say the opposite, like "May you break your leg!" This way, they hoped to bring good luck instead.

A writer named Robert Wilson Lynd wrote about this in 1921. He said that in horse racing, wishing someone luck was bad luck. So, you might say something like, "May you break your leg!" This idea suggests that the phrase was a way to wish someone well without actually saying "good luck."

"Break a Leg" in Theatre

Many people think the saying came into American theatre around the 1920s. This might be because German-speaking Jewish immigrants, who knew the Hals- und Beinbruch phrase, started working in entertainment after World War I. The superstition theory also suggests the phrase started around the same time.

One of the first times "break a leg" was written down in a theatre setting was in 1939. The American writer Edna Ferber wrote in her book A Peculiar Treasure about how understudies (actors who learn a role in case the main actor can't perform) would wish the main actors would "break a leg." This meant they hoped the main actors would do well, but also, secretly, that they might get a chance to perform!

In 1948, a book called The Theatre Handbook and Digest of Plays by Bernard Sobel also mentioned this. It said that actors never wish each other "good luck" before a show. Instead, they say, "I hope you break a leg."

Other Ideas (Not So Likely)

There are other fun ideas about where "break a leg" came from, but they are probably not true:

• The Performer Bowing: Some say it means bending your leg to take a bow after a performance.
• Breaking the Leg Line: A "leg" is a type of curtain on a stage. The "leg line" is an imaginary line just past the curtains. If a stand-by performer crossed this line, it meant they were finally getting to go on stage and get paid. So, "break a leg" might have meant hoping someone got their chance to perform.
• David Garrick: There's a story about a famous 18th-century actor, David Garrick. He was so into his role as Richard III that he supposedly didn't notice he had actually broken his leg! But this is just a story.
• John Wilkes Booth: Another idea connects it to John Wilkes Booth, the actor who assassinated Abraham Lincoln. He claimed he broke his leg jumping onto the stage after the act. However, actors didn't start saying "break a leg" until much later, so this isn't likely.

Other Ways to Wish Good Luck

Different performers have their own special ways to wish each other good luck:

• Dancers: Professional dancers don't say "break a leg." Instead, they often say Merde! This is a French word that means "poop." It sounds strange, but it's their way of wishing good luck! In Spanish, it's mucha mierda ("lots of poop"), and in Portuguese, it's muita merda. This saying might come from a time when horse-drawn carriages brought audiences to the theatre. Lots of horse poop outside meant a big audience and a successful show!
• Opera Singers: Opera singers often say Toi toi toi. This phrase is like saying "knock on wood" to ward off bad luck. It's often said while knocking on wood or making a spitting sound (or pretending to spit). Spitting was traditionally thought to scare away evil spirits.
• Italian Opera Singers: Another Italian good luck phrase for opera singers is In bocca al lupo! This means "In the mouth of the wolf!" The correct response is Crepi il lupo!, which means "May the wolf die!"
• Australian Performers: In Australia, performers sometimes say 'chookas'. One story says that if there weren't many people in the audience, performers would get bread for dinner. But if the theatre was full, they'd get "chook" (Australian slang for chicken). So, "Chook it is!" became "Chookas!" It's now just a general wish for a successful show.
• Russian Hunters and Students: In Russia, hunters used to say Ni pukha, ni pera! ("Neither fur nor feather") to each other for good luck. The reply was K chiortu ("Go to hell"). Today, students often use this same exchange before an exam!

See also

• Knocking on wood
• Spilling water for luck
• The Scottish Play