Break a Leg!
Hello and Happy Summer! I've always been one of those people who tells friends to "break a leg" before a big performance, presentation, or event. To me, it was simply a fun way of wishing someone good luck. Recently, though, someone called me out on it. "Why would you tell someone to break a leg?" they asked. It was a fair question, and it sent me down a rabbit hole to find out where the phrase actually came from. The explanation I'd always heard was rooted in theater superstition. Actors and actresses were believed to be wary of wishing each other "good luck." The thinking was that openly hoping for success might somehow tempt fate and cause the performance to go badly. So instead, performers would say the opposite: "break a leg." By wishing something seemingly unfortunate, they hoped the reverse would happen and the show would be a success. It's a charming story, and one that has been repeated for years. But as I dug a little deep...