Simon Jones Posted 4 August , 2005 Share Posted 4 August , 2005 Just found this on the site of the Theatre Museum. Why do actors say "break a leg" as a good luck wish? One theory is that it originated from a Yiddish greeting which was used by German airmen during the First World War. It sounded like the German for 'break a leg'. From there it was translated into English and adopted by British airmen, and then by actors. To directly wish someone 'Good Luck' on the first night of a play is considered a jinx. Anyone heard this before? Regards Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CROONAERT Posted 4 August , 2005 Share Posted 4 August , 2005 Just found this on the site of the Theatre Museum. Anyone heard this before? Regards Simon <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I'm unsure as to it's WW1 origins to be honest, but I know that a German Fallschirmjaeger of WW2 "good-luck" saying was "Hals und Beinbruch" (neck and bone break), which, I suppose, is similar enough to give credence to the above's origins. Dave. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurel Sercu Posted 4 August , 2005 Share Posted 4 August , 2005 Simon, There are a handful of explanations on this webpage : http://www.theatrecrafts.com/glossary/page...ebreakaleg.html But "yours" is not among them... Aurel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrel Posted 4 August , 2005 Share Posted 4 August , 2005 Well known saying in modern Germany so a German lady from Munich told me a couple of years ago. Generally accepted as meaning "break your neck and leg". Also used in the circus so my uncle who worked for Bertram Mills said. I have read of this phrase being used by pilots in a book by a German WW1 fighter pilot but can't remember the name of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcderms Posted 4 August , 2005 Share Posted 4 August , 2005 ... it's supposed to be ironic i.e rather than wishing a fellow performer good luck, "(I hope you) break a leg". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Dennis Posted 5 August , 2005 Share Posted 5 August , 2005 Hello, I am new to the forum but I may have something of interest. I understood this phrase to have, believe it or not, religious origins. The first person to ever say "break a leg" to me was an aged clergyman in the West of England, and when I looked amazed he explained it as follows: the Devil (it was believed in olden days) got most of his fun by causing calamaties to those who were strict churchgoers. To spoil his fun, simply wish a disaster upon someone and then it's no longer "the Devil's work". He also said this was "a beastly German tradition" that had found it's way into English through the theatrical world. I wish I could verify the story, but it fits and he seemed sincere at the time (1970). Regards, Bruce Dennis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Jones Posted 5 August , 2005 Author Share Posted 5 August , 2005 Thanks to all. It looks like we are relying on Squirrel to remember the name of that book... Regards Simon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrel Posted 5 August , 2005 Share Posted 5 August , 2005 Didn't find the book I metioned before but did find another one! The recently published, and absolutely excellent ,The German Army on The Somme by Jack Sheldon. Page 199, chapter 5, Vizefeldwebel H. Gareis 1st Coy Bavarian Infantry Regiment 16: .....My friends having tried and failed once more to prevent me from going, called out "break a leg" and I took my leave...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stan Posted 16 August , 2005 Share Posted 16 August , 2005 saying was "Hals und Beinbruch" (neck and bone break<{POST_SNAPBACK}> Not wanting to be picky but a literal translation would be "throat and legbreak" Neck is probably a good enough translation and, as the Germans aren't cricketer's, I would suggest that "break a leg" is a fair enough translation of the later. it was most certainly used by German pilots during both wars. The best I can offer re its origins is as follows: (1) From Dave Wilton's Etymology Page : http://www.wilton.net/etyma1.htm Superstition against wishing an actor Good Luck! has led to the adoption of this phrase in its place. Popular etymology derives the phrase from the 1865 assassination of Abraham Lincoln. John Wilkes Booth, the actor turned assassin, leapt to the stage of Ford's Theater after the murder, breaking his leg in the process. The logical connection with good luck is none too clear, but such is folklore. There is no evidence, however, to suggest that this is the true derivation, and since the earliest usage of the phrase dates to the 1920s, there is much to suggest that it is not. The best that can be said is that the origin is unknown. A DICTIONARY OF CATCH PHRASES (see below) suggests that there may be a connection with the German phrase Hals und Beinbruch, an invitation to break your neck and bones. The German phrase is used by aviators and is equivalent to the English phrase Happy Landings!. Both phrases arose about the same time, the early twentieth century, but the connection between the German aviation community and American theater is unclear, so they may be unrelated. A DICTIONARY OF SLANG AND UNCONVENTIONAL ENGLISH, published some eight years before the above, does not list the theatrical meaning. Instead, it lists an obsolete meaning of "to give birth to a ******* child," from circa 1670. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Hederer Posted 16 August , 2005 Share Posted 16 August , 2005 I was told in school that it comes from hatzlacha und bracha (forgive spelling) , yiddish for good luck and blessing(s). I did a search on-line this morning in German and that seems to be the most widely given explanation. Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Sheldon Posted 16 August , 2005 Share Posted 16 August , 2005 Squirrel gets a chocolate frog for being the first person to my knowledge to quote from my book! Just so that everyone is clear about this, the friends of Gareis from 16th Bavarian Infantry Regiment were quoted by him as calling out "Hals- und Beinbruch," before he set off. Stan has put his finger on a very good point; one which confronts we translators on a daily basis. How do we stay faithful to the nuances of the original, but use language which conveys meaning in a flowing manner to an anglophone readership 90 years on? I permit myself a few archaisms, but not to an ostentatious extent - otherwise you end up with the contrived language of the historical novel. Anyway in this case, it was obvious that 'neckbreak and legbreak' would not do, so 'break a leg' it became. Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrel Posted 16 August , 2005 Share Posted 16 August , 2005 Isn't the study of languages wonderful. Wonder how the the Germans would have translated "Here's mud in your eye" or "You're having a laugh arn't you?". Can't wait for the chocolate frog to turn up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Sheldon Posted 16 August , 2005 Share Posted 16 August , 2005 Squirrel As the metaphorical frog hops in your direction, no problems! This is where we get into equivalents and where translation becomes as big a test of general knowledge and absorption of the mores and culture of the two countries as it is of language. Example: 'The straw that broke the camel's back' in German is 'Der Tropfen, der das Fass zum ueberlaufen bringt' [The drop that makes the barrel overflow]. If you did not know that you could fiddle about with the translation all day and still get it wrong. 'Mud in your eye' could be anything from 'Prosit!' to 'Trink zu!' via 'zum-' or 'auf Ihr Wohl!' depending on the exact context and , as for your other one, if you mean, 'Are you taking the piss?', then the verb involved is 'verarschen' - 'ver' as a prefix always has a negative connotation in German and as for 'Arsch', well I'll leave its Anglo-Saxon equivalent for you to guess! Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrel Posted 16 August , 2005 Share Posted 16 August , 2005 I know what you mean. Some years ago a German business friend used to mangle English figures of speech using phrases such as "Don't wake the dogs" for "Let sleeping dogs lie". He had great fun with "Du bist ein grossenplonker" which was the best we could make of "You are a big plonker" when attempting a translation. As you can see, German is not my forte and English was not his but we had some great laughs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack Sheldon Posted 16 August , 2005 Share Posted 16 August , 2005 You're right. Fundamentally, playing with languages should be fun shared. Talking of which, it's just as well your forefathers were not called Puddleduck, or you'd have had to trade here as Jemima Jack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squirrel Posted 16 August , 2005 Share Posted 16 August , 2005 Jack, you are right with that; not as bad as it might have been! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest markjennings23 Posted 20 August , 2005 Share Posted 20 August , 2005 Just for info, I havehad an instance of being wished "hals und beinbruch und horrido." (horrido being the Lutwaffe equivalent of "tally ho!") by the second world war German fighter ace, General Adolf Galland. He gave me a signed photo in 1980 that bears this legend and which hangs on the wall as I write. This seems to indicate that the phrase was well entrenched in the Luftwaffe at least in the 1939-45 period. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now