Do you say good luck or break a leg to musicians?

“Break a leg” is a phrase used in the performing arts that means “good luck.” Theatre performers believe that it is bad luck to say “good luck” so they say the opposite of what they mean.

Do you say break a leg to directors?

Say “break a leg” instead of “good luck.” Why is it bad luck to say “good luck” to an actor? But why specifically the well-wish to “break a leg?” The widely-accepted explanation is that the “leg” being referred to is not the human appendage, but rather the curtain that hangs in the wings, masking the backstage.

What does it mean to say go break a leg?

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’.

How do you wish someone good luck in a play?

You’re supposed to say “break a leg” to an actor, “bump a nose” to a circus performer, “merde” — the vulgar French word for, let’s just say, manure — to a dancer, and either “toi toi toi” or “in bocca al lupo” to an opera singer. Some performers take it very seriously.

What should you not say to a musician?

10 Things You Shouldn’t Say to a Musician

• “What’s your real job?” It is generally known that musicians aren’t always able to live off their work.
• “You should try out for X-factor!” No thanks, plus musicians are not precisely what they are looking for.
• “What is your backup plan?” Very important!

Is break a leg a metaphor?

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.

Is it OK to say break a leg?

If you’ve come to one of our shows, or any theater performance in general, odds are you’ve heard the term “break a leg,” and maybe even used it to wish performers good luck. It may seem odd, but in the theater world, saying “good luck” is actually considered bad luck.

Do you tell dancers to break a leg?

One of the most common is never to say “good luck” before a show, since everyone knows uttering the phrase is, in fact, very bad luck. Actors say “break a leg” instead. But since that phrase isn’t exactly dance-friendly, you and your dance friends probably tell each other “merde” before taking the stage.

Do you say break a leg to dancers?

What do you say instead of break a leg?

What is another word for break a leg?

How do you wish someone with a broken leg?

Before a show, performance, or big event you can use one of these phrases to say good luck.

1. Have a great ______ (show). You’re going to be amazing!
2. Break a leg!
3. Let’s give them a good _______(show, presentation, game).
4. We’re going to bring the house down!

What does it mean when someone says break a leg?

“Break a leg” is an idiom in theatre used to wish a performer “good luck” in an ironic way. Well-wishers typically say “Break a leg” to actors and musicians before they go on stage to perform. The origin of the phrase remains obscure.

Why do professional dancers wish each other ‘break a leg’?

Professional dancers do not wish each other good luck by saying “break a leg”; instead they say “Merde!”, the French word for “shit”. In turn, theater people have picked up this usage and may wish each other “merde”, alone or in combination with “break a leg”. In Spanish, the phrase is “mucha mierda”, or “lots of shit”.

What does it mean to wish an actor to break a leg?

While Booth’s roles as an actor are not well remembered, wishing an actor to “break a leg” is to wish them a performance worthy of remembrance. However, the fact that actors did not start wishing each other to “break a leg” until the 1920s (more than 50 years later) makes this an unlikely source.

Why do they say Break a leg in curtain calls?

“Break a leg” may also allude to the practice of bowing or curtsying by performers during a curtain call. By placing the feet in front of each other and bending the knees, it breaks the line of the legs, hence the phrase, “break a leg”.