Break a leg
Meaning
An idiom used to wish someone good luck, especially before a performance or challenge.
Origin
In the superstitious world of the theatre, wishing an actor 'good luck' before a performance was considered to invite precisely the opposite. Instead, performers developed the counter-intuitive phrase 'break a leg' as a coded wish for success. One popular theory suggests it refers to 'breaking' the imaginary leg line of the stage curtain—the boundary beyond which performers step to appear before an audience. To 'break a leg' meant to actually get on stage and perform, thus earning your wages, making it a powerful, if backwards, way to wish someone a triumphant and profitable show.
Examples
- Before her big audition, her friend called to say, 'Break a leg!'
- The director told the entire cast to break a leg right before the curtain went up on opening night.