Saturday
Statute Break A Leg
Most people
are familiar with the phrase “break a leg”, used to wish actors (a known superstitious
group), good luck before a performance. The origin of this phrase is debated
and fascinating to read about http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2012/11/origin-of-the-phrase-break-a-leg/,
but it is a phrase that dancers do not use. We have an entirely different way
to wish each other well. It is the word “merde”. The translation in English is
that of a four-letter word that means human or animal waste.
How did “merde”
come to be the accepted word for dancers? Supposedly, back in the day, when
horse-drawn carriages carried the elite to the theatre, the horses would,
naturally, leave their “calling cards” on the street. The more merde in the
street, the more people in the audience.
Now you
know!
From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets
Ballet Statute #103:
“Unlike actors, dancers never say “break a
leg” before a performance.”
Link of the Day:
Quote of the Day:
“There are
some things, after all, that Sally Owens knows for certain: Always throw
spilled salt over your left shoulder. Keep rosemary by your garden gate. Add
pepper to your mashed potatoes. Plant roses and lavender, for luck. Fall in
love whenever you can.”
― Alice Hoffman, Practical Magic
― Alice Hoffman, Practical Magic
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