Where did Term break a leg come from?

Where did Term break a leg come from?

Some say the term originated during Elizabethan times when, instead of applause, the audience would bang their chairs on the ground — and if they liked it enough, the leg of the chair would break. The most common theory refers to an actor breaking the “leg line” of the stage.

Who invented the phrase break a leg?

John Wilkes Booth
Popular etymology derives the phrase from the 1865 assassination of Abraham Lincoln. John Wilkes Booth, the actor turned assassin, leapt to the stage of Ford’s Theater after the murder, breaking his leg in the process. The logical connection with good luck is none too clear, but such is folklore.

Why do they say break a leg in theatre?

This is an expression used mostly in the world of theatre to mean ‘good luck’. Actors and musicians are never wished ‘good luck’; before they walk on to the stage, they are usually told ‘break a leg’. This form of wishing people is beginning to be used in other contexts as well.

Is break a leg still appropriate?

Say “break a leg” instead of “good luck.” Phrases like “break a leg” and “merde” are meant to confuse these theatrical pixies and defeat their obstinate ways. A wish for something bad will yield something good from them. Money = Breaking legs = Success.

Is Break a leg still appropriate?

What do you reply to break a leg?

Saying Break a leg! to someone before an important event means you hope that he or she does well or has a great show. It is most common in the theatre, where actors say it to each other or family and friends say it to actors before taking the stage. The standard response to Break a leg! is Thanks!

Does break a leg mean good luck?

What is the meaning and origin of ‘break a leg’? This is an expression used mostly in the world of theatre to mean ‘good luck’. Actors and musicians are never wished ‘good luck’; before they walk on to the stage, they are usually told ‘break a leg’.

How do you respond to break a leg?

Break a Leg Meaning Saying Break a leg! to someone before an important event means you hope that he or she does well or has a great show. It is most common in the theatre, where actors say it to each other or family and friends say it to actors before taking the stage. The standard response to Break a leg! is Thanks!

What is break a leg an example of?

An ironic or non-literal saying of uncertain origin (a dead metaphor), “break a leg” is commonly said to actors and musicians before they go on stage to perform, likely first used in this context in the United States in the 1930s or possibly 1920s, originally documented without specifically theatrical associations.

Why do they say break a leg in Theatre?

What figure of speech is break a leg?

Where does the saying “break a leg” originate from?

What is the origin of “break a leg”? Some scholars believe the term originated from Ancient Greece, where instead of clapping for performers after a production, the audience would stomp their legs to show their appreciation.

What is the origin of saying break a leg before a performance?

An ironic or non-literal saying of uncertain origin (a dead metaphor ), “break a leg” is commonly said to actors and musicians before they go on stage to perform, likely first used in this context in the United States in the 1920s or 1930s. Nov 9 2019

What is the origin of break a leg for good luck come from?

“Break a leg” is an idiom in theatre used to wish a performer “good luck” in an ironic way. Well-wishers typically say “Break a leg” to actors and musicians before they go on stage to perform. The origin of the phrase remains obscure . The expression reflects a theatrical superstition in which wishing a person “good luck” is considered bad luck.

Why do people tell actors to “break a leg”?

People say ‘break a leg’ before a performance because they want your performance to be so good that you could do what that actor did and, metaphorically, come right up to the edge safe knowing that the audience enjoyed your performance so much that they wouldn’t harm you.