Break a leg?

[ScienceGeek]

Someone said to me break a leg earlier, we were talking about my exams coming up. They explained they meant good luck, sounds like an odd thing to say to a person. I mean breaking your leg is a horrible thing so why would you say that? I'm mighty confused, anyone know the reason people say this?? Asked wife but she couldn't remember.

 

Thanks, from a baffled SG.

[Flora]

Hi SG.... I'm quite surprised you haven't heard this one because it's a very common and hackneyed way of saying 'good luck'. It's something to do with the stage... when people go for auditions it's thought as 'bad luck' to wish them 'good luck'... so instead they say 'break a leg' (implying bad luck). It's based on superstition.

 

It's something that is very commonly used. I too have AS and am have known about this since I was about 7

 

Flo'

[TheNeil]

Flora's right - it's a kind of 'theatre thing' which is supposed to mean 'good luck'. Something to do with everything in theatre-land being 'cursed' which is why they insist on saying 'The Scottish Play' rather than Macbeth

 

They should stop spouting this rubbish and concentrate on making more serieseseseseseseseses of Dr Who if you ask me

[ScienceGeek]

Hi SG.... I'm quite surprised you haven't heard this one because it's a very common and hackneyed way of saying 'good luck'.

 

It's something that is very commonly used. I too have AS and am have known about this since I was about 7

 

Flo'

 

I'd kind of been told it had something to do with 'good luck' I just couldn't work out why.

[warrenpenalver]

i knew it was the reverse of its apprent meaning and meant good luck but not its origin.

[pearl]

What would we do without Google?

 

Theres even a poss Hebrew connection SG

[bikemad]

My lad asked me bout what that meant the other day funnily enough and 'pull your socks up'...someone told my stepdaughter to pull her socks up n he turned round n said 'she avnt got socks on' bless him he didnt realise she was being told to get a move on n hurry up.