This is a well known idiom in theatre which means good luck or try your best which is typically said to actors, actresses and musicians before they go on stage. Break a leg is a wellknown idiom in theatre which means good luck. From longman dictionary of contemporary english break a leg break a leg spoken used to wish someone luck, especially just before they perform on stage break. While a break could indicate either upward or downward change, the connotation is negative. Vennesa merrell said, break a leg, to david while he took it in a sad way. Definition of break a leg in the idioms dictionary. C smithsonian books in association with penguin books, 2004, isbn. A friend urged him to call odonnell and walsh right said. One of the more common idioms in the english language is, break a leg. Break a leg break a leg break a leg break a leg break a leg break a leg break a leg arm break a leg out there leg spinner, leg break, a googly, a flipper to break a leg break a leg outside theatre english only forum break a leg.
Translation for break a leg in the free englishfrench dictionary and many other french translations. You can complete the definition of break a leg given by the english definition dictionary with other english dictionaries. To interrupt the continuity in a tissue or electric circuit or the channel of flow or. The phrase break a leg is a jovial encouragement, said to actors for good luck before they go on stage, especially on an opening night. Idioms and phrases with their meaning and examples in pdf free download. Odonnell got a gee up to aid recovery sadly, this season appears to be no different with byron anthonys leg break during the otherwise successful newport county game at brighton in the league cup. From longman dictionary of contemporary english break a leg break a leg spoken used to wish someone luck, especially just before they perform on stage break exercises vocabulary exercises help you to learn synonyms, collocations and idioms. Break a leg break a leg break a leg break a leg break a leg break a leg break a leg arm break a leg out there legspinner, leg break, a googly, a flipper to break a leg break a leg outside theatre english only forum break a leg. Break a leg is used in informal english when we wish someone good luck, especially before a performance. Change your default dictionary to american english. The idiom break a leg is usually used in theater to wish good luck to actors before they go up on stage.
A place in a file of records where one or more of the values in the records. Feb 02, 2020 break a leg in michael quinion, ballyhoo, buckaroo, and spuds. Break a leg is a typical english idiom used in theatre to wish a performer good luck. Break a leg is an idiom in theatre used to wish a performer good luck in an ironic way. An englishspanish dictionary granada university, spain, 14. The word blessing was translated to hebrew brakha which was transliterated to hebrew ber. Break a leg definition of break a leg by the free dictionary. The term break a leg appears to come from the belief. Especially on the futures market, a break means a steep decline in price, usually the result of a natural disaster affecting the underlying. Good luck is the most common expression we say to someone when we hope that they will be successful. This is used for a stage performeror for anyone else who is about to give some kind of a performance, such as an important speech. He said he was a racing fan and that hed suffered a pretty bad leg break. Find out the meanings of idioms and common sayings such as nest egg or new york minute, and much more. List if idioms a to z with examples and meanings english phrases.
The origins of break a leg, a phrase used to wish someone good luck, can actually be traced back to british theatres in the 1920s, although its not exactly certain how the phrase came about. Good luck is the most common expression we say to someone. One favorite is that breaking a leg is an elegant metaphor for taking a bow or making a curtsey, i. There are a large number of idioms and they are used very commonly in all languages. Legbreak definition, a ball deviating to the off side from the leg side when bowled. Definition of break a leg new word suggestion collins. Learn the meaning of popular english phrases and expressions with example. Wellwishers typically say break a leg to actors and musicians before they go on stage to perform. Oct 28, 2016 to find out more about kaplan international go to. A speech form or an expression of a given language that is peculiar to itself grammatically or cannot be understood from the individual meanings of its elements, as in keep tabs on. An idiom is a phrase, saying or a group of words that has a metaphorical not literal meaning, which has become accepted in common usage. In theatre, pleased audiences may applaud for an extended time allowing the cast to take multiple curtain calls, bowing to the audience. Especially on the futures market, a break means a steep decline in price, usually the result of a natural disaster affecting.
It is typically said to actors and musicians before they go on stage to perform. View american english definition of break a leg change your default dictionary to american english. To cause to separate into pieces suddenly or violently. Search break a leg and thousands of other words in english definition and synonym dictionary from reverso. What you tell someone about to perform in a drama or musical performance to wish them well. An idioms symbolic sense is quite different from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which it is made. Because for example in russian there is a common idiom with the same meaning which break a leg as a way to wish 28112014 what you tell someone about to perform in a drama or musical performance to wish them well. An idiom s symbolic sense is quite different from the literal meaning or definition of the words of which it is made. Break a leg definition and meaning collins english dictionary. Break a leg in michael quinion, ballyhoo, buckaroo, and spuds. Among the many sayings for good luck, you can hear actors whisper neck and leg break to each other as the footlights dim and the curtain rises each. To interrupt the continuity in a tissue or electric circuit or the channel of flow or communication. Download our english dictionary apps available for both ios and android.
How do i break it to my mother that i have infantile amnesia a. It is most common in the theatre, where actors say it to each other or family and friends say it to actors before taking the stage the standard response to break a leg. Top break a leg synonyms idioms are come on, good luck and take heart. From time immemorial and going through the elizabethan theatre, different theories have been posed on the origin of the meaning of the expression break a leg, which has become a tradition. As with many theatrical superstitions, there are many imaginativeif unreliableback stories to explain the origin of the phrase. Break a leg definition at, a free online dictionary with pronunciation, synonyms and translation. Theatrical types are well known for their belief in superstitions, or at least for their willingness to make a show of pretending to believe in them.
Definition and synonyms of break a leg from the online english dictionary from macmillan education. Leg breaks article about leg breaks by the free dictionary. To wish a performer good luck might jinx him or her. Break a leg meaning in the cambridge english dictionary. You can complete the list of synonyms of break a leg given by the english thesaurus dictionary with other english dictionaries.
Wikipedia, lexilogos, oxford, cambridge, chambers harrap, wordreference, collins lexibase dictionaries, merriam webster. Dannys family told him to break a leg right before he went up on stage. A place in a file of records where one or more of the values in the records change. Break a leg new word suggestion this is a well known idiom in theatre which means good luck or try your best which is typically said to actors, actresses and musicians before they go on stage. So as not to tempt fate before a performance, show people say, break a leg.
Less frequently, break refers to a discrepancy in a brokerages accounting books. No one is sure, but one theory has the expression deriving, possibly through yiddish, from a german. Subscribe to our free daily email and get a new idiom video every day. Ingenious tales of words and their origins, washington, d. Definition of break ones back collins english dictionary. This is the british english definition of break a leg. A to z list of idioms and phrases with their meanings break a leg. Break a leg article about break a leg by the free dictionary. A sudden, unexpected change in a securitys price or in a markets value. There is an older meaning of break a leg going back to the 17th and 18th century that refers to having. Vocabulary exercises help you to learn synonyms, collocations and idioms.
An ironic or nonliteral saying of uncertain origin a dead metaphor, break a leg is commonly said to actors and musicians before they go on stage to perform, likely first used in this context in the united states in the 1920s or 1930s, probably without specifically theatrical associations at first. Break a leg definition of break a leg by medical dictionary. Oct 05, 2015 learn english for free with free spirit english. To break the leg or break a leg is archaic slang for bowing or curtsying. The specific grammatical, syntactic, and structural character of a given language. Leg break definition, a ball deviating to the off side from the leg side when bowled. Although she didnt break a leg on the stage, she did act and have a remarkable life on one leg. It is most common in the theatre, where actors say it to each other or family and friends say it to actors before taking the stage. Join dara as he shares common idioms that will help you speak english fluently. Mar 03, 2017 theatre people are a superstitious lot. Greens dictionary of slang oup says to compare the english exclamation to the german one and has this as the earliest reference to break a leg. Could break a leg refer to the incomparable actress renaissance woman who lost a leg to gangrene. The minimum distance in a circuitopening device between the stationary and movable contacts when these contacts are in the open.
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