WONDER #2162: Why Do People Tell Performers To “Break a Leg” Before a Performance?

Question 1 of 3

Which common phrase is often said to actors before they go on stage, especially on opening night?

1. good luck
2. fare thee well
3. break a leg
4. twirl a pig

Question 2 of 3

The most likely origin of the phrase “break a leg” is the superstitious belief that one should not tell an actor what before a performance?

1. good luck
2. fare thee well
3. get well soon
4. happy birthday

Question 3 of 3

One popular theory holds that “break a leg” got its start in the aftermath of the assassination of which leader?

1. Franz Ferdinand
2. Abraham Lincoln
3. Adolf Hitler
4. George Washington

Check your answers online at https://wonderopolis.org/wonder/why-do-people-tell-performers-to-break-a-leg-before-a-performance.