# break a leg

idiom · CEFR B1

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/break-a-leg
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Good luck!; Do your best!; Said to someone wishing they perform well in a theatrical production or comparable endeavor.

## Examples

- Break a leg at your big concert tonight.
- 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.

## Origin

Theatre 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). (disputed)

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.