Where Did The Saying Break A Leg Come From
Camila Farah
Whatever the army or navy want the continental roll and steel foundry will turn out or break a leg trying.
To break a leg in shakespeare s time meant literally to bow by bending at the knee. The term break a leg appears to come from the belief that one ought not to utter the words good luck to an actor. After shooting lincoln john wilkes booth an actor broke his leg by leaping from the balcony to the stage. This meant that a performance was well received and that the continual stomping would eventually lead to someone breaking their leg.
What is the origin of break a leg. Since a successful actor would break a leg onstage and receive applause the phrase would in effect be a wish for good luck. Some scholars believe the term originated from ancient greece where instead of clapping for performers after a production the audience would stomp their legs to show their appreciation. Irish writer and essayist robert wilson lynd wrote about the superstition rife in the theatre for the new statesman in 1921.
Theatrical types are well known for their belief in superstitions or at least for their willingness to make a show of pretending to believe in them. Break a leg can be traced back to 1920s british theatre the choice of break a leg may have come about as part of a theatre in joke where apprentice actors would jokingly tell established. This meaning came before its use in the theater. This source quotes the hammond times from 1942.
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By wishing someone bad luck it is supposed that the opposite will occur. The term break a leg may be traced back to the elizabethan language. Eric partridge in his dictionary of catchphrases suggests that break a leg originated as a translation of a similar expression used by german actors.
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