I found the answer to the question about the origins of “Break a Leg” rather unsatisfying. Specifically, I had a problem with some of the dates involved. It is stated that the phrase has been common since, “the early 1900s.” One of the theories of origin for the phrase was given as a reworking of a phrase used by German aviators in WWI. It seems to me that this implies that the phrase was in use before WWI broke out. I guess it depends what is meant by the phrase, “the early 1900s.” I read it as “somewhere between 1900 and 1910.” Anything later than that would be “the 'Teens” or “the Twenties”, etc. The only way I can imagine the Mailbox reply making sense is if “the early 1900s” means “anytime before 1950,” which seems rather too wide a range to be worth much as an answer. Isn’t there an earliest known instance of the phrase, or at least some way of pinning it down to a particular decade? I agree that the Booth explanation seems a little too cute to be true …
The link to the Mailbag under consideration is: What’s the origin of ‘break a leg’ in show business?
“Early 1900s” certainly includes WWI in my book.
I could be screaming ignorance at the moment, but I’ve been involved in theater for 6 years now, and I’ve always been told that the expression “break a leg” came from the the old name for those sandbagged ropes that counterbalanced the weight of the curtain. The beginning of the play was signified by the “breaking” of the “leg” (The leg being the sandbag) and it just went from there into common theater terminology.
andygirl
Just a short comment on the original German phrase: The correct spelling is “Hals- und Beinbruch”. Evan Morris seems to have made the mistake, and Ken just copied it.
Anyone care for the pronunciation while I’m at it? It’s “HULLS oont BINE-brookh” (sharp S, short OO as in “look”, and KH as in Scottish “loch”).
Andy, I think your version probably goes in the category of “There are a number of theories about the origin.”
Holg, thanks for the correction, we’ll check it out and get on it.
When I worked in theater, I was told it was a reference to bowing after the performance.
I’m sure we have all see the old style of bowing where you would bow with the left leg straight with toe pointed, and the right leg would be bent as your head nodded down and your arms were held gracefully to the side.
I think this explanation makes the most sense.
Well, just to keep nitpicking…
Although the spelling in the article has been amended, the German phrase is still not quite correct. “Beinbruch” must be capitalized, being a noun.
I’m German, I do know for sure.
“I always heard that in the Greek times, people didn’t applaud–they stomped for their appreciation. So if they stomped long enough, they would break a leg.”
From here 
It was actually begun as an advertisement by the Leggo company, they were saying that “you can’t break a Leggo”, to try to convince parents how safe Leggo was for children. Andrew Lloyd Weber thus built the chandelier used in his first version of PHANTOM OF THE OPERA entirely from Leggo, so that it wouldn’t break when it fell to the stage. Unfortunately, they DID break, hence leading to the common expression in theatres, “Break a chandelier.” Er, no, “Break a Leggo”… which, of course, was shortened over time.
The toy, of course, is spelled “lego”, with only one “g”. I think that CK was just waffling on the issue.
WHy Stewert had to start a new thread on this topic is beyond me. We’re having a heated debate over there and, as a bonus, no waffling.