THERE’S a number of phrases we use throughout the day that we don’t know the real meaning of.
And the includes the well wish of “break a leg”.
Many understand the phrase as a way to wish good luck on actors and musicians before they go on stage.
Some theories stipulate that it’s used in this context for actors in hope they end up in the “cast”.
Others think it’s because wishing someone good luck actually invites bad luck on them.
“I thought it was because wishing someone good luck before a performance actually gave them bad luck,” one person penned in a Twitter thread about the phrase.
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"So people said break a leg to give them good luck?"
Under the same thread, someone who has been working in theatre for six years claimed the phrase is based on wanting “to enter stage with so much energy you break a leg".
But these interpretations are far from the truth.
The Transcendence Theatre Company has put an end to the debate once and for all.
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But its revelation is something nobody without inside knowledge could have guessed.
“In the early years of theatre, this is where ensemble actors were queued to perform,” a spokesperson said.
“If actors were not performing, they had to stay behind the 'leg line' which also meant they wouldn't get paid.
"If you were to tell the actor to 'break a leg,' you were wishing them the opportunity to perform and get paid."
Similarly, people have just found out where the phrase “show your true colours” comes from.
According to history channel A Look Back In Time, the idiom gained traction back in the times of world wars.
It’s thought that warships would use different flags to confuse their enemies.
But when it came to actually firing, they had to show their real flag – or show their true colours.
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