# break a leg

Pronunciation: US/UK say "brayk uh LEG" /ˌbɹeɪk ə ˈlɛɡ/; AUS say "BRAYK uh LEG"

## Idiom

1. An expression used to wish someone good luck and a strong showing before a performance, especially on stage, or before a comparable challenge.
   - Simple: A cheerful way to wish someone good luck before they perform or try something hard.
   - _The stage manager grinned and told the nervous understudy to break a leg._
   - _Break a leg at your piano recital. You've practiced for months._

## Origin

The origin is unknown, with many debated theories. One of the most plausible is that it comes from the Yiddish phrase הצלחה און ברכה (hatslokhe un brokhe, "success and blessing") (itself from Hebrew) through the strong Ashkenazi Jewish influence in American theater, possibly misheard as the German Hals- und Beinbruch ("neck and leg fracture"). Another possible explanation is that it wishes the opposite of luck on a performer so as not to jinx them.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/break-a-leg (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).