Break A Leg...

So, I have been looking @ old cliche’s, sayings and phrases and wandering what the origin of some of these sayings meant! One of the biggest I never quite understood was the phrase “Break a Leg”, So.. I researched it.  Apparently wishing an actor prior to his going on stage to ‘break a leg’ is a well-known practice. A pretty strange wish, actually it is meant magically to bring him luck and make sure that his performance will be a success. From the superstitious age it was thought that jealous forces, or an evil force were lurking around performers wishing bad things upon them. A good luck wish would alert and provoke them to do their evil work, however if you wish a negative thought such as “break a leg” a curse will make them turn their attention elsewhere. The underlying principle is the belief that if you wish evil, then good will come. I’m sure it’s called reverse psychology these days.