THE CAT'S PAJAMAS X

Tad Tuleja

A collection of the (mostly) true origins of familiar phrases

BREAK A LEG

Version 1:

Break a leg is the traditional good-luck wish given to an actor or performer about to go on. The apparent absurdity of the expression is explained by the fact that leg (pronounced "ledge") is an old shortened form for legend. To "break a legend" meant to outshine the work of a former, legendary performer. 

Version 2:

In Elizabethan times, instead of applauding, the audience would bang their chairs on the floor. If the show was really good, sometimes the chair legs would break.