{"id":10037,"date":"2022-11-04T18:33:05","date_gmt":"2022-11-04T18:33:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/?p=10037"},"modified":"2022-11-04T18:33:05","modified_gmt":"2022-11-04T18:33:05","slug":"break-a-leg-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/break-a-leg-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"Break a Leg \u2013 Meaning, Origin and Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Have you seen the phrase 'break a leg' <\/strong>somewhere on the internet or in a text and would like to know more about what it means? The phrase 'break a leg' <\/strong>is figurative, and has specific associations with luck and stage performance. This post unpacks the meaning, origin and use of the saying.<\/p>\n

Meaning<\/h2>\n

The phrase 'break a leg' <\/strong>is a type of figurative saying<\/u> in the English language, usually one that has associations with luck or stage performance.<\/p>\n

When someone says 'break a leg'<\/strong> the phrase is used to say the same thing as 'good luck' <\/strong>before an event or occasion.<\/p>\n

The phrase 'break a leg' <\/strong>does not literally mean that someone should break a leg<\/u>, but just implies that it should go well with the event that is said or implied.<\/p>\n

The saying has associations with stage performance, but this is not always the case<\/u> and the phrase can be applied to any event for which luck would be assumed necessary by the speaker.<\/p>\n

The phrase is usually said from one person to another, with the first person implying good luck to the second.<\/p>\n

Sometimes the saying can be used with sarcastic implications or as an insult<\/u>, though this would be made clear by the context of the conversation.<\/p>\n

The phrase is typically said only in one form<\/u>, and there is no denial phrase for the common saying \u2013 and it is not typically said as 'break legs' but still remains as 'break a leg' <\/strong>even when it might reference several people.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Example Usage<\/h2>\n

\u201cI know you're going to do great at the baseball game tomorrow for all the work you and the rest of the team put into it. Break a leg.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you think about it for a minute, you'll remember that I told you to divorce her before the two of you even got married. Break a leg in court tomorrow, son.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood luck with the performance of The Scottish Play tomorrow, kids. Break a leg, and I don't mean that literally.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere's no need to worry about how you're going to\u00a0 do tomorrow. You know how to play the solo just fine. You'll break a leg.\u201d<\/p>\n

Origin<\/h2>\n

The origin of the phrase 'break a leg' is not clear according to most online language resources, though the most common theory about the expression is that it could have come from a phrase that originated in German.<\/p>\n

The German phrase 'Hals und Beinbruch' is a phrase that translates almost directly to the saying 'break a leg', and it was already a common saying in German by the 1800s.<\/p>\n

With stage performances of the late 1800s to early 1900s, the phrase 'break a leg' began to appear in popular media and as a speaking term. Most 1900s dictionaries already record the phrase as a common English saying.<\/p>\n

The phrase appears on the website Urban Dictionary from 2011.<\/p>\n

Phrases Similar to Break a Leg<\/h2>\n
    \n
  • Live long and prosper<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Phrases Opposite to Break a Leg<\/h2>\n
      \n
    • N\/a<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      What is the Correct Saying?<\/h2>\n
        \n
      • Break a leg<\/li>\n
      • [you should] break a leg<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        Ways People May Say Break a Leg Incorrectly<\/h2>\n

        There are several ways in which someone can use the phrase 'break a leg' in the wrong way, or misunderstand the meaning of the saying.<\/p>\n

        The phrase 'break a leg' can be understood in the wrong context, where the phrase is misunderstood as literal instead of figurative: meaning to break a leg instead of to break a leg.<\/p>\n

        Sometimes the phrase is misheard or misused as 'break a lead' which it is not.<\/p>\n

        Acceptable Ways to Phrase Break a Leg<\/h2>\n

        There are several correct ways in which someone can use the phrase 'break a leg' to say the same as 'good luck' to someone.<\/p>\n

        'Break a leg' is an acceptable phrase whether referring to one person or several.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

        Have you seen the phrase 'break a leg' somewhere on the internet or in a text and would like to know more about what it means? The phrase 'break a leg' is figurative, and has specific associations with luck and stage performance. This post unpacks the meaning, origin and use of the saying. Meaning The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10037"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10037"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10037\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10039,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10037\/revisions\/10039"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10037"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10037"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10037"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}