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Break a leg" is an English-language idiom used in the context of theatre or other performing arts to wish a performer "good luck". An ironic or non-literal saying of uncertain origin (a dead metaphor), [1] "break a leg" is commonly said to actors and musicians before they go on stage to perform or before an audition. Though a similar and ...
Some theater history buffs think "break a leg" might be a cousin of the German phrase "Hals- und Beinbruch," which means "neck and leg break." Others connect it to the Hebrew blessing "hatzlakha u ...
The post Where Did the Phrase “Break a Leg” Come From? appeared first on Reader's Digest. Skip to main content. 24/7 Help. For premium support please call: 800-290-4726 ...
For example, break a leg is an expression commonly said to wish a person good luck just prior to their giving a performance or presentation, which apparently wishes injury on them. However, the phrase likely comes from a loan translation from a phrase of German and Yiddish origin, which is why it makes no literal sense in English.
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me; Still waters run deep; Strike while the iron is hot; Stupid is as stupid does; Success has many fathers, while failure is an orphan (A) swarm in May is worth a load of hay; a swarm in June is worth a silver spoon; but a swarm in July is not worth a fly
A man who was diagnosed with bone cancer as a teenager had his prosthetic leg, valued at $8,000, stolen out of the trunk of his car in Portland earlier this month. When he came back from dinner ...
pull somebody's leg: To tease or joke by telling a lie: push the envelope: To approach, extend, or go beyond the limits of what is possible; to pioneer. [m] [20] pushing up daisies: A euphemism for dying or death: put a spoke in one's wheel To disrupt, foil, or cause problems to one's plan, activity, or project. [68] put on airs
Equivalent to the English actor's idiom "break a leg", the expression reflects a theatrical superstition in which wishing a person "good luck" is considered bad luck. [ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] The expression is commonly used in Italy off stage, as superstitions and customs travel through other professions and then into common use, and it can sometimes ...