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Re: Another Happy Birthday!

From:John Cowan <jcowan@...>
Date:Saturday, April 6, 2002, 17:37
Christophe Grandsire scripsit:

> When you want to wish good luck to an actor or a director before the > beginning of a theater play, you cannot use "good luck" ("bonne chance") > since > it brings bad luck :)) (actors are quite superstitious when it comes to > acting :)) ). You have to say "Merde !" (yes indeed, you read me > correctly :)) ) and the person who receives the wish mustn't answer to it. > Are there other languages (nat- and/or con-) that also have insults promoted > to good wish interjections in some situations?
Yes, indeed. In English one says "Break a leg!" which is not an insult per se, but certainly a malediction in normal use. German says "Hals- un Beinbruch", where "Bein" probably also means "leg" (as formerly) in this connection. -- John Cowan <jcowan@...> http://www.reutershealth.com I amar prestar aen, han mathon ne nen, http://www.ccil.org/~cowan han mathon ne chae, a han noston ne 'wilith. --Galadriel, _LOTR:FOTR_