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ESL forum > Message board > Break a leg    

Break a leg



mariannina
Italy

Break a leg
 
Hello! Well I don �t mean it, but my intention is to wish good luck!
What do you usually say to wish success?
Thank you and ciao.
Mariannina

2 Sep 2011      





teresapr
Portugal

Hi, Mariannina!May be this will be helpful:
Teresa

2 Sep 2011     



mariannina
Italy

Thank you Teresa, it �s very interesting but I �d like to know what "non official wishes" are used, even in dialect.
Ciao.
Mariannina

2 Sep 2011     



maryse pey�
France

Ciao Mariannina,
 
I hope you will forgive me what is to follow.
 
In France it is a very bad word, Cambrone �s word as we are used to say... because he was the 1st to pronounce it on a battle field. It begins with M. (in French of course) and does not smell roses !!!!! And as our national emblem is a rooster known for having its paws in...
 
If you want to go further you will add �power 13 �.
 
Happy coming back to all of you !

2 Sep 2011     



mariannina
Italy

Well Maryse, I know that word we use it in Italy as well! I mean good luck expressions I can teach my school kids!  A sort of going around the world with good feelings.
Thank you dearie!
Ciao

2 Sep 2011     



maryse pey�
France

dear Mariannina,

I have checked one more time on the web which expressions you can use to wish good luck, well, immediately it was the one I gave you.
 
Far equivlents may be :
 
Good wind (bon vent)
Good journey (bon voyage)
All the best
Oh yes ! there is 1 or 2 maybe : �touch wood � ! or �cross your fingers �
 
But I cannot think of more expressions, I am afraid ! At least you will have these expressions !

2 Sep 2011     



mariannina
Italy

"Touch wood" is good, merci.
I �ll look for other words and then I �ll show you the "finished work"
Ciao
Hug

2 Sep 2011     



franknbea
United Kingdom

Hello dear Granny,
Londoners use "be lucky" quite a lot and also "all the best"
 
Ciao

2 Sep 2011     



mariannina
Italy

Thanks Frank.

2 Sep 2011     



Jayho
Australia

Hi Mariannina
 
Downunder you are most likely to hear these:
 
Formal (like for a job I/V, presentation etc)
Good luck
Wishing you the best of luck
All the best
 
Informal
Knock �em dead  here 
You show �em (what you can do/how it is done)
I�ll keep my fingers crossed for you here
 
There�s also �Knock on wood� which is apparently used but I�ve never heard it used.  When I hear that I think of Ami Stewart.  It�s possibly US English.
 
�Touch wood� in my neck of the woods is generally used when you talk about something bad which might happen and you then �touch wood� to prevent it.  For example, if you are talking about school budget cuts you might say "it looks like we might have to have budget cuts which will jeopardise our jobs, but touch wood it won�t happen".  As you say the words �touch wood � you actually touch the nearest wooden item to you (e.g. a table) and if you don �t have anything wooden nearby you gently knock your head with the knuckles of your  fist (because your head contains sawdust - didn�t you know???).  More  here
 
Break a leg is not so common here anymore.
 
You knock �em dead with that worksheet Granny.  I�m sure it�ll be a little ripper.
 
Cheers
 
Jayho
 
 
 

3 Sep 2011     



Apodo
Australia

�Break a leg � is usually used by actors on the stage before a play, because it is bad luck for them to say � Good Luck �.
 
I wish you every success.

3 Sep 2011     

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