The term, of course, means “do well” or “have a great show” and
is typically used before a stage performance, a show, or an
audition. (I have never heard it used before filming a movie on
any of the movies I’ve been involved with, but I guess it can be
used in that sense too). But I’m sure you’re more interested in
the origin of “break a leg”. Like many popular sayings and
terms, the origin of “break a leg” is nebulous and disputed. The
term “break a leg” was used originally, many say, to discourage
evil spirits from deliberately causing one’s performance to
suffer. According to this theory, wishing someone “good luck”
would be invoking the “evil eye”. So “good luck” would actually
cause bad luck for the actor. Thus, “break a leg”, by this
logic, would be a wish for good luck. This is in line with the
first documented instance of someone saying “break a leg” in
terms of wishing them luck. In an October 1, 1921 edition of the
New Statesman, Robert Wilson Lynd is talking about it being
unlucky in horse racing t