What does the idiomatic expression break a leg means?
What does the idiomatic expression break a leg means?
good luck
This is an expression used mostly in the world of theatre to mean ‘good luck’. Actors and musicians are never wished ‘good luck’; before they walk on to the stage, they are usually told ‘break a leg’. So when you wished an actor ‘good luck’, the spirits ensured that bad luck fell on him.
How do you use the idiom break a leg?
The idiom ‘Break a leg’ is usually used in theater to wish good luck to actors before they go up on stage. Example of use: “Danny’s family told him to “break a leg” right before he went up on stage.”
What does having a broken leg mean?
A broken leg (leg fracture) is a break or crack in one of the bones in your leg. Common causes include falls, motor vehicle accidents and sports injuries. Treatment of a broken leg depends on the location and severity of the injury.
When we can use break a leg?
Break a leg is used in informal English when we wish someone good luck, especially before a performance. We usually say “Break a leg” to actors and musicians before they go on stage to perform, but it can be used as for other situations too.
What figure of speech is break a leg?
An ironic or non-literal saying of uncertain origin (a dead metaphor), “break a leg” is commonly said to actors and musicians before they go on stage to perform, likely first used in this context in the United States in the 1930s or possibly 1920s, originally documented without specifically theatrical associations.
What do you reply to break a leg?
Break a Leg Meaning Saying Break a leg! to someone before an important event means you hope that he or she does well or has a great show. It is most common in the theatre, where actors say it to each other or family and friends say it to actors before taking the stage. The standard response to Break a leg! is Thanks!
What can I say instead of a broken leg?
What is another word for break a leg?
| all the best | best of British |
|---|---|
| take care | lots of luck |
| lotsa luck | God be with you |
| Godspeed | come on |
| MTFBWY | may the Force be with you |
What is break a leg an example of?
“Break a leg” means “good luck!” It comes from superstitious actors in the theatre where it is considered bad luck to wish an actor a good luck before they go onstage. Therefore, by saying break a leg, they are actually wishing somebody luck in an ironic way.
Why break a leg is good luck?
If actors were not performing, they had to stay behind the “leg line,” which also meant they wouldn’t get paid. If you were to tell the actor to “break a leg,” you were wishing them the opportunity to perform and get paid. The sentiment remains the same today; the term means “good luck, give a good performance.”
Where does the expression break a leg come from?
Some say the term originated during Elizabethan times when, instead of applause, the audience would bang their chairs on the ground — and if they liked it enough, the leg of the chair would break. The most common theory refers to an actor breaking the “leg line” of the stage.
What type of literary device is break a leg?
Cards
| Term foreshadow | Definition hints of something that is going to happen later in a story |
|---|---|
| Term idiom | Definition A figure of speech NOT to be taken literally. Example: Go break a leg! |
| Term personification | Definition giving human qualities to non living things “The leaves danced in the breeze.” |
What’s another way to say Godspeed?
What is another word for Godspeed?
| farewell | goodbye |
|---|---|
| adieu | ave |
| congee | au revoir |
| good-by | bon voyage |
| congé | valediction |