Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

break a leg

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.55 in modern English

Syllables: break a -leg
IPA

16

Scrabble Score

9

Letters

2

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

intj

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

Example Sentences

"Go out there and break a leg tonight. Put on a great show!"
"I told my friend to break a leg, before she went on stage."

Etymology

Unknown; many unproven and widely debated theories exist. One of the most plausible is that it comes from Yiddish הצלחה און ברכה (hatslokhe un brokhe, “success and blessing”) through the heavy Ashkenazi Jewish influence in the American theater, via the misinterpretation in German as Hals- und Beinbruch (“neck and leg fracture”). The Yiddish phrase itself comes from Hebrew הַצְלָחָה וּבְרָכָה (hatzlakhá u-v'rakhá, “success and blessing”). Another possible origin was to wish opposite luck on the performer so as not to jinx the statement.

Origin

Source language: Yiddish

Word Breakdown

Root: הצלחה און ברכה, -, הַצְלָחָה וּבְרָכָה

Inflected Forms

break a leg ! (canonical)

Phrases

shake a leg show a leg

Frequently Paired Words

shake a leg show a leg

Synonyms

toi, toi, toi

Questions

What does break a leg mean?: Good luck!; Do your best!; Said to someone wishing they perform well in a theatrical production or comparable endeavor.
Where does break a leg come from?: It is traced to Yiddish.

How to pronounce break a leg

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