Definition, Meaning & Synonyms
break-a-leg
idiom
/ˈbreɪk ə lɛɡ/
Definition
A phrase used to wish someone good luck, especially before a performance.
Examples
- Before her big audition, her friends told her to ‘break a leg.’
- The director told the cast to break a leg on opening night.
- She whispered ‘break a leg’ to her partner just before they took the stage.
Meaning
The expression ‘break a leg’ is a way of encouraging someone to do well in a performance, often used in the theater. It is believed to originate from the superstition that wishing someone good luck directly is bad luck, so an alternative phrase is used instead.
Synonyms
- Good luck
- Knock ’em dead
- Go get ’em
