Search from various Engels teachers...
Herbstlied
What's ''Good Luck'' in Your Language
English speaking people, usually Americans, say: ''Break a leg'' as a way to express a wish of good luck to someone.
An Italian friend of mine just told me that Italians say: ''In bocca al lupo'' which literally mean: in the mouth of the wolf...
anyone got other phrases?
8 apr. 2009 20:13
Antwoorden · 13
3
Great question!
'Break a leg' comes from theater, where the superstition is that wishing an actor good luck before he goes onstage is actually BAD luck... so to encourage him you wish for his injury.
Another show biz (business) phrase for this is:
"Knock 'em dead!" (knock them dead) which means to 'knock out' (= impress, from boxing i guess) the audience
"Give 'em hell!"
is a general term of encouragement especially to someone entering a conflict, I seem to remember someone in WW2 saying this, but it's probably older.
"Best of luck" is too formal to actually say aloud much but it makes good writing in a letter or greeting card, or when signing a yearbook. During WW1 a common phrase among soldiers in the trenches before going into battle in which they might likely be killed, was "Over the top and best of luck to you."
The interesting thing is that 'best of luck to you' also has become a phrase which means 'good luck and go away'. For instance if someone on the street is trying to tell you their story, you cut them off with a little blessing. It's actually similar in the Muslim world "God help you" (because I'm not going to)
9 april 2009
2
well ,we don`t beleive about the luck because we beleive with Act of God so no need for say good luck !!
but we have in my language which it`s arabic language words for that . we say "hadan moowfak " or "bltafweek".
9 april 2009
2
in italy we say "in bocca al lupo"
but in calabria the region in which i live we say also "in culo alla balena" that means more or less "in the ass of a whale" eheheh
9 april 2009
2
祝你好运~ zhu2 ni3 hao3 yun4
9 april 2009
2
in canada, we just say "good luck" or "break a leg".
9 april 2009
Meer weergeven
Heb je je antwoorden nog steeds niet gevonden?
Schrijf je vragen op en laat de moedertaalsprekers je helpen!
Herbstlied
Taalvaardigheden
Arabisch, Chinees (Mandarijn), Engels, Frans, Duits, Italiaans, Noors, Russisch, Spaans
Taal die wordt geleerd
Frans, Duits, Italiaans, Noors, Russisch, Spaans
Artikelen die je misschien ook leuk vindt

English Vocabulary for Using Microsoft Office at Work
26 likes · 6 Opmerkingen

How to Answer “How Was Your Weekend?” Naturally in English
56 likes · 30 Opmerkingen

Why Some Jokes Don’t Translate: Understanding Humor in English
15 likes · 6 Opmerkingen
Meer artikelen
