Wondering if anybody knows the origin of the term “Break a leg” as used to convey “Good luck” to entertainers. I can’t think of any possible circumstances where breaking a leg would be desirable, unless someone was trying to get workman’s comp. Since that obviously has nothing to do with the meaning, anyone here able to help?
My understanding is that stage performers are suspicious folk. (Don’t ever say “Macbeth” backtage during a show.) Anyway the idea is saying “have a great show” would jinx the whole thing - so its reverse psychology. “Break a leg” is meant as an expression of support. Now as to why its “break a leg” as opposed to “have a heart attack” or “trip and break your nose”, I dunno.
Ah, superstition. I should have figured as much. Thanks for the info.
I haven’t got an origin for you, but here’s a little background. Entertainers - live stage professionals specifically - can be exceedingly superstitious people. Superstitions such as…
A) Never whistle on stage
B) Never say the name “MacBeth” in a theatre, other than in the context of the script
C) Never say “good luck” to a performer
…are just a few of the ridiculous beliefs that have evolved. Even though the “whistling” thing (and probably others) has some historic basis for caution, it is completely outdated now and has long since collapsed to a mere superstitious belief.
It is believed to be bad luck to wish a performer, “Good Luck!” Supposedly you’d put the whammy on them or some such nonsense. So, if you really want to wish the performer well, then naturally you’ll tell them to go “Break a leg” (or “blow a fuse” for the lighting people, or “miss a cue” for the stage manager, etc…).
Over fifteen years of professional theatre work here, and I’ve seen a lot of superstitious nonsense. But we’re all professionals, so most of us go along with it just to appease the few wackos who completely come unglued when you a
(Sorry for the double post - I tabbed to the “submit” button accidentally. This is the complete post.)
I haven’t got an origin for you, but here’s a little background. Entertainers - live stage professionals specifically - can be exceedingly superstitious people. Superstitions such as…
A) Never whistle on stage
B) Never say the name “MacBeth” in a theatre, other than in the context of the script
C) Never say “good luck” to a performer
…are just a few of the ridiculous beliefs that have evolved. Even though the “whistling” thing (and probably others) has some historic basis for caution, it is completely outdated now and has long since collapsed to a mere superstitious belief.
It is believed to be bad luck to wish a performer, “Good Luck!” Supposedly you’d put the whammy on them or some such nonsense. So, if you really want to wish the performer well, then naturally you’ll tell them to go “Break a leg” (or “blow a fuse” for the lighting people, or “miss a cue” for the stage manager, etc…).
Over fifteen years of professional theatre work here, and I’ve seen a lot of superstitious nonsense. But we’re all professionals, so most of us go along with it just to appease the few wackos who completely come unglued when you actually say “MacBeth” out loud. I once had a director insist that I leave the theatre, go out into the lobby, turn around three times and spit in order to break the curse of mentioning the name of “The Scottish Play”. (I didn’t do it, so she went out and did it herself. No kidding.)
If you’re think that theatre people are strange, then you’d be right.
- Old Peculiar.
I always heard it as “never whistle backstage.” Also, never put a hat on the bed!
Sounds like baseball. Lucky streaks, lucky bats, never washing your “whatever” while you’re hitting well, never comment that a pitcher has a perfect game/no hitter/shutout going.
Well, the whistle thing stems from when riggers used to whistle to signal each other. If there was a rigger on stage whistling to a rigger 70 feet up in the grid, he might be signalling the rigger above to lower or drop an item from the high steel. From this, the idea stemmed that it would be very bad for a non-rigging type person to whistle, lest that person inadvertently initiate an action that shouldn’t be happening at that moment. In other words, the non-rigger might accidentally signal a rigger above to do something.
The idea is completely antiquated now, but because rigging type activity can take place on either side of the proscenium, whistling anywhere on stage is generally considered taboo.
That isn’t just a stage superstition.
So if it’s bad luck to wish good luck, then if you want to wish someone good luck you need to wish them bac luck. But if wishing bad luck is good luck, then it must be bad luck. So if you want to wish someone good luck by wishing them bad luck, you need to wish them good luck becaus that would be bad luck; and therefore, good luck. But if wishing good luck is bad luck, and thus good luck, then it’s bad luck. But if it’s bad luck, then it must be good luck… ad nauseum.
Johnny - you make these superstitions sound, almost - oh, what’s the word? - ridiculous.
NAH!!
Working in the theatre, I understood that the phrase came from the name for the rope operating the tabs (main curtains) which was the leg. Having so many curtain calls that the leg broke was what was being wished.
I have heard of at least one other but cannot for the life of me remember it at the moment.
PT
Doesn’t the “break a leg” superstition go back to Shakespeare’s time? IIRC, stages used to be hazardous. It was, indeed possible to break a leg while giving a performance. It wasn’t uncommon to ward off bad luck by wishing it on the person, not just in the theater. People honestly believed that by wishing for one thing, they’d get the opposite.
Many superstitions work this way. You can fool the Devil if you don’t call things by their right name. You can ward off the Evil Eye by misdirecting it.
However, “break a leg” turns out to be a modern expression.
If you really want to wish an actor good luck, you say, “Break a leg, both arms, your nose, a clavicle, and your spine.”
I can’t remember who said that, but it’s that guy who’s posting this.
Hmm - could be, I suppose, although it’s hard to ignore the superstition aspect. I’ve never heard of the operating rope on a lock rail or a pin rail referred to as a leg - things may be different in England. This side of the pond, the legs are the (typically black velour) masking that runs about 10 feet wide, hanging vertically on either side of the stage. The legs run parallel to the plaster line, and there is typically a series of 3 or 4 (or more) running up- and downstage. They block the view backstage from the audience, but still form passageways for performers to get from the wings to the stage.
Here we are - a fuller answer complete with cites (admittedly mainly web pages) now I’ve had the time.
Having so many curtain calls the curtain rod (leg) broke
John Wilkes Booth:
Bending the knee:
Hope that the show would be so good that the actor would be obliged to bend their knee (break their leg) in a deep bow.
The earliest useage is disagreed upon:
From worldwidewords
Most sites seem to think that the German fighter pilots phrase is probably the most likely but they all say that it’s pretty sketchy.
Hope this is useful, or at least fairly interesting!
PT
Yep - I was wrong. I meant the curtain rod not rope. Mea culpa[sub]but I’m not sorry[/sub] 
That’s what they’re called here as well. Mind you what with all curtains now being called tabs, not just tabs (the curtains which pull up and to the side a la old time music hall, complete with gold rope and tassles) I woudn’t be surprised if various other widgets had alternative names…
PT
In addition to not saying the word “MacBeth” in the theater, if you’re somehow involved in a production of the show, you must not say the name, either. “The scottish play” is generally accepted as the euphemism, though others are used. My friends at UCR called it “Haggis.”
In fact, a “leg” was what German air crews called their ammunition cannisters. When fighter pilots would leave, their crews would tell them to “break a leg” – i.e., open their cannisters, meaning, be able to shoot at the enemy.
On the allied side, fighter ammunition was packed in belts measuring nine yards long. Fighter crews would encourage pilots to “give them the whole nine yards…”
Okay. I’m leaving.