break a leg

Idioms  

1. Fracture one or more leg bones, as in She fell down the stairs and broke her leg in two places . [c. a.d. 1000]

2. Good luck! as in Play well, Rob—break a leg! The origin of this imperative to a performer about to go onstage is unclear; it may have been a translation of the German Hals und Beinbruch (“Break your neck and leg”), also of unknown origin. Equally mysterious is the Italian equivalent, In bocca di lupe , “Into the mouth of the wolf.” [c. 1900]

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Example Sentences

Sir Chris Hoy says he is on crutches and "hobbling about" after breaking a leg in a cycling crash which he described as the "worst" of his life.

From BBC

“No, YOU break a leg! Be awesome! Love you!”

From Literature

He moved up into motor racing in 1974, first into Formula Ford and then Formula 3, only to suffer a nasty accident at Mallory Park in 1976 and badly break a leg.

From BBC

Last year Intuitive Machines' first spacecraft also landed on its side, breaking a leg.

From BBC

After breaking a leg at the age of nine - and fretting about whether she would lose fitness during her recovery - Potter resumed her progress in the pool.

From BBC