# The Origin of "break a leg!"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-break-a-leg/487303>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [February 25, 2009, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-break-a-leg/487303 "2009-02-25T01:11:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Nathaniello](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ac8455/32.png) [@Nathaniello](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nathaniello)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-break-a-leg/487303/21 "2009-05-05T13:42:08Z")

</div>

> [@Mangetout](#):
>
> Quite apart from the lack of supporting evidence, doesn’t the curtain explanation just _smell_ false? - like the brass monkeys thing, or any number of backronym-based false etymologies (like P.O.S.H. or S.H.I.T.) - it stands out as false because it is _too_ clear. Real-life etymologies often just don’t make a lot of sense - this one is too plausible to be true.

Yeah i know what you mean, it just seems too simple an explanation for something that is so widely used!

For some reason one of my old teachers (a few years ago now) used to say that “break a leg” was said kind of as a deterrent because that is the complete opposite of what they want to happen, stupid explanation i know, but at least there are some more plausible ideas here!

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\
**Post date:** [May 5, 2009, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-break-a-leg/487303/22 "2009-05-05T15:43:22Z")

</div>

No, that is the most plausible explanation. It is the superstition route. Don’t say “good luck” because that will bring on bad luck. Wish them bad luck so thereby the opposite will happen.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2009, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-break-a-leg/487303/23 "2009-05-06T10:37:57Z")

</div>

> [@Irishman](#):
>
> No, that is the most plausible explanation. It is the superstition route. Don’t say “good luck” because that will bring on bad luck. Wish them bad luck so thereby the opposite will happen.

Yup. And you’ll find the same “logic” elsewhere. In Norway you don’t wish a fisherman good fishing, cause that will cause the opposite, you wish him crap fishing, “skitt fiske”.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Bookkeeper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bookkeeper/32/281_2.png) [@Bookkeeper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bookkeeper)\
**Post date:** [May 7, 2009, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-break-a-leg/487303/24 "2009-05-07T00:20:21Z")

</div>

> [@Nathaniello](#):
>
> Yeah i know what you mean, it just seems too simple an explanation for something that is so widely used!
> 
> For some reason one of my old teachers (a few years ago now) used to say that “break a leg” was said kind of as a deterrent because that is the complete opposite of what they want to happen, stupid explanation i know, but at least there are some more plausible ideas here!

This is an example of reverse psychology as applied to the ever-present evil spirits. Wishing out loud something opposite of your real intent will trick the spirits into _not_ causing harm.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-origin-of-break-a-leg/487303.md?page=1)