Language Lounge: “Kivi kotti!”

VINCENT TEETSOV

Global theatre traditions have taught us that explicitly wishing someone well before a performance is a sure-fire way to make that performance go terribly wrong. Instead, a suitable replacement is “break a leg.”

The Canadian arts publication Ludwig Van states that this saying first appeared in Robert Wilson Lynd’s article “A Defence of Superstition” in 1921. Lynd wrote of how wishing someone luck in horse racing might actually bring about the opposite result. Then there’s the story of how British actor David Garrick continued to perform Shakespeare’s Richard III despite having fractured his leg, presumably setting the standard for a wholehearted, praiseworthy performance.

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Photo: equip-bid.com