"Break a Leg!” — And Then…Everyone Ran! - Manisha Khanna

It was a bright Monday morning, and the air in the classroom was buzzing with energy. A group of my students was gearing up for an inter-house competition. As a supportive mentor, I decided to cheer them on. I flashed my warmest smile, gave them a thumbs-up, and with great flair, said:

"Break a leg!"

And just like that…silence.

No smiles.

No "thank you ma'am."

No excitement.

Just…stunned faces.

Before I could say anything more, the group shuffled awkwardly, gave me a look of utter betrayal, and disappeared—like I had just cursed them with an ancient wizard’s hex.

I stood there, confused.

Did I say it wrong? Did my breath smell?

What just happened?

The next few days were even stranger. In the corridors, those very students would sprint in the opposite direction as if I were carrying a hammer in one hand and a broken bone in the other. I even heard a faint whisper from behind a classroom door:

"Yahi toh boli thi...pair tod do!"

My teacher brain went into overdrive. Did they think I meant it literally?

And then... came the reality check.

A concerned colleague casually dropped the bomb:

"Hey, I think you need to clear something up. The students are kind of…scared. They think you want them to actually break their legs."

Agast! 😳

My eyes widened.

My soul left my body for two seconds.

I imagined my name on the school noticeboard: “Mentor or Menace?”

Suddenly, my well-intentioned idiom of encouragement had become a horror story for innocent teenagers.

That evening, I gathered the class, took a deep breath, and with a slightly awkward laugh, clarified:

"Break a leg” doesn’t mean I want you to visit the hospital. It’s just a fancy English way of saying all the best!

The room burst into laughter. The tension lifted. One student even said, "Ma'am, we almost thought you joined the mafia!"

And just like that, I learned two important lessons:

1. Idioms can be tricky, especially when taken literally.

2. Never underestimate the power of clear communication, especially when dealing with Gen Z students who are fluent in emojis but not in Shakespearean sarcasm.

So next time, I’ll probably just say:

"Do your best!"

(And keep all bones intact.)

Manisha Khanna