why actors use the phrase “Break a Leg” to wish each other good luck?
“Break a leg” is a well-known saying in theatrical circles where it is traditionally used as a means of wishing an actor good luck before he or she ventures on stage, but where does the term come from and why does it mean good luck when to break a leg in reality is anything but. In fact there are several competing theories for the origin of this phrase, all of which have favour in some quarters. A few of the more credible ones are described below. • It stems from an old tradition whereby audiences would throw coins onto the stage at the end of a performance as a mark of their approval. The actors would then go down on bended knee, or ‘break a leg’ (break in this instance meaning ‘bend’) to pick up the coins so thrown. To wish someone to ‘break a leg’, therefore, is to wish they will please the audience so much as to have plenty of largesse to scoop up at the end of the performance. • It refers to a traditional pose that actors of old would assume to receive their applause, wherein one
