Break a leg at your big concert tonight.
break a leg
idiom B1
Good luck!; Do your best!; Said to someone wishing they perform well in a theatrical production or comparable endeavor.
Origin
disputed originTheatre superstition (early 20th century) that wishing luck directly invites bad luck; possibly from the German/Yiddish good-luck phrase 'Hals- und Beinbruch' (neck and leg break).
I know you are nervous about your first big presentation, but you have prepared well, so break a leg.
As the curtain rose and the actors took their places, the director whispered for them to break a leg and give the audience a performance to remember.
- 01
an arm and a leg
Usually used after the verb cost, but also often charge, pay, and spend: a very high price for an item or service; an exorbitant price
- 02
big break
A breakthrough, especially the first big hit of a previously unknown performer or performers in the entertainment industry.
- 03
break a sweat
To put effort into something.
- 04
break cover
To disclose one's real thoughts and intentions.
- 05
break down
To give in or give up: relent, concede, surrender.
- 06
break even
To neither gain nor lose money.
- 07
break gates
To enter an Oxford or Cambridge college enclosure after the hour to which a student has been restricted.
- 08
break in
To reach a state of functioning more smoothly through use or wear; to cause (something, or someone, new) to undergo this change.