Radio Country: Why do we say “break a leg”?

Tuesday, October 29, 2024

Why do we say “break a leg”?

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Why do we say "break a leg"?

Why do actors tell each other to break bones before a performance? It's not malicious — the idiom "break a leg" has roots going back to ancient Greece.

Professional ballet dancer in motion, performing on theater stage

T elling someone to "break a leg" is another way of saying "good luck" — unless they're especially clumsy, in which case we'd suggest an idiom that's less likely to jinx them. You may wonder, though, how a phrase that sounds so menacing on the surface can have such a positive connotation. While the origins are murky, there are a few popular theories behind why we say "break a leg" as an encouraging expression.

The most common belief is that the phrase originated in the theatrical community, which is known for its superstitions. Actors worry that the simplest thing can bring about bad luck, such as saying "Macbeth" in a theater (it's called "The Scottish Play" instead), whistling backstage, or, indeed, wishing a fellow performer "good luck." Instead, many actors use the term "break a leg" as an ironic way of wishing other actors well. The exact start of this practice is unknown, but it was noted in a 1921 edition of The New Statesman in an essay called "A Defence of Superstition" by Irish writer Robert Wilson Lynd. He said the best way to wish luck was through an opposite sentiment, such as saying, "May you break a leg."

Another purported, albeit unlikely, origin story involves audience reactions to live performances in both ancient Greece and the Elizabethan era. The Greeks were said to stomp their feet instead of clapping, while Elizabethans would bang their chairs on the ground to express praise. Ferocious stomping meant they enjoyed the performance all the more. So, people may have begun saying "break a leg" in the hopes of generating a response powerful enough to risk snapping both human and chair legs.

A nontheatrical origin story involves the German phrase Hals- und Beinbruch! — literally translated as "may you break your neck and your leg!" The Oxford English Dictionary cites this use around 1900 in a hunting context, then 1913 in a theatrical context, but lexicographers note there's not a strong connection for influence on the English idiom and theatrical usage.

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