phrase🎓 English idiom

break a leg

good luck (said before a performance)

What it means

A way of wishing someone good luck, especially before a performance such as a play, concert, or audition. The literal 'bad luck' wording is used deliberately, since openly wishing luck is considered unlucky in theatre.

Examples

  • Break a leg tonight, I know your solo will be wonderful.
  • The cast hugged and told each other to break a leg before curtain.
  • Break a leg at your audition, you've practised so hard.
  • She whispered 'break a leg' as he stepped onto the stage.

Where it comes from

A theatrical superstition, probably from the 20th century, that wishing 'good luck' directly invites misfortune, so performers say the opposite. Several origin theories exist, but the exact source is uncertain.

Related idioms

#keep your fingers crossed#pull someone's leg#keep your chin up#on cloud nine

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