break a leg
English · Thesaurus
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break a leg
Where it comes from
Unknown; many unproven and widely debated theories exist. One of the most plausible is that it comes from Yiddish הצלחה און ברכה (hatslokhe un brokhe, “success and blessing”) through the heavy Ashkenazi Jewish influence in the American theater, via the misinterpretation in German as Hals- und Beinbruch (“neck and leg fracture”). The Yiddish phrase itself comes from Hebrew הַצְלָחָה וּבְרָכָה (hatzlakhá u-v'rakhá, “success and blessing”). Another possible origin was to wish opposite luck on the performer so as not to jinx the statement.
interjection break a leg !
-
Good luck!; Do your best!; Said to someone wishing they perform well in a theatrical production or comparable endeavor.
Go out there and break a leg tonight. Put on a great show!
Similar: toi, toi, toi
Translations
Every language
intj expression of best wishes to a performer
| Español | ¡mucha mierda!, ¡mucha miola/miércale/porra! bowdlerized |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 祝你好運 /祝你好运 zhù nǐ hǎoyùn |
| Português | dê o seu melhor!, muita merda! |
| Français | je te dis merde !, merde !, bonne merde |
| Deutsch | Hals- und Beinbruch!, Mast- und Schotbruch! |
| Italiano | in bocca al lupo!, in culo alla balena! |
| Română | baftă, să fie cu noroc |
| Русский | ни пу́ха ни пера́ ni púxa ni perá, ни хвоста ни чешуи ni xvosta ni češui |
| עברית | הַצְלָחָה וּבְרָכָה! hatzlakhá u-v'rakhá! |
Talk about this word "break a leg." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/break%20a%20leg. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. break a leg. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/break%20a%20leg "break a leg." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/break%20a%20leg.Cite this
@misc{break_a_leg_2026,
title = {break a leg},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/break%20a%20leg},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
