Dixie Louisiana State 13-14 Tournament

[Cajuncubsfan]

Dixie Louisiana State 13-14 Tournament

We have an Umpire meeting tomorrow and ball games start Saturday morning. I'm so excited, I have 5 games in three days. Wish me luck, I will let y'all know how it goes. Yes, I will get my hand from behind my back. LOL, I don't know who made that comment.

[Texarkana]

Dixie Louisiana State 13-14 Tournament

We have an Umpire meeting tomorrow and ball games start Saturday morning. I'm so excited, I have 5 games in three days. Wish me luck, I will let y'all know how it goes. Yes, I will get my hand from behind my back. LOL, I don't know who made that comment.

Good luck. Let me tell you about my Dixie 13-14 year old state and regional tourny from a few years back. 104 degrees, no time limit, pitch counts limited so many pitching changes are coming. Take a REAL BIG cooler with you. I am going to Hackberry this weekend to catch trout , reds and flounder. Sure you don't wanna just pack it in and go with us?

[carolinablue]

congrats and don't suck.

[Cajuncubsfan]

Dixie Louisiana State 13-14 Tournament

We have an Umpire meeting tomorrow and ball games start Saturday morning. I'm so excited, I have 5 games in three days. Wish me luck, I will let y'all know how it goes. Yes, I will get my hand from behind my back. LOL, I don't know who made that comment.

Good luck. Let me tell you about my Dixie 13-14 year old state and regional tourny from a few years back. 104 degrees, no time limit, pitch counts limited so many pitching changes are coming. Take a REAL BIG cooler with you. I am going to Hackberry this weekend to catch trout , reds and flounder. Sure you don't wanna just pack it in and go with us?

I would Love to but this will be the last real baseball for me this year and I hate to see it go. I will fall ball and some adult league stuff but that's not really competitive. I would love to go trout fishing again tho. I have not done that I years!

[Cajuncubsfan]

congrats and don't suck.

Thanks and I would like to think I wouldn't have been invited if I sucked!

[NFUA_44]

congrats and don't suck.

Thanks and I would like to think I wouldn't have been invited if I sucked!

Cajun;

It's all good man, "don't suck" is just umpire speak for work hard and have fun!

And congrats on your invitation to a big gig, it's always a good feeling to know your hard work has paid off. Enjoy the games, make some new umpire friends, and don't suck! :GL:

[carolinablue]

It's kinda like '" break a leg " in show biz.

[Dragon29]

It's kinda like '" break a leg " in show biz.

OK - Gotta jump in here; been in theatre all my life. I know only about 1% of you will be interested in this, but what the hell . . .

"Break a leg' doesn't mean that; it's a common misconception that wishing someone 'Good Luck' in the theatre is, in fact, bad luck and so a tradition was started to wish the actor the opposite, just so you didn't jinx them. That is not, however, where the tradition came from.

Modern custom is for women to curtsy and men to bow, but that's not how it was then. Back in the 1500's, all actors were men (women were not allowed on stage) and the curtsy was the accepted way to take applause; but not all actors got to take applause. Audiences were much harsher back then and only the best actors remained on stage long enough to acknowledge the audience. When you curtsy properly (that is, very low) one of your legs stays straight, and the other bends at the knee - that's the 'leg break' being referred to.

So saying, 'break a leg' was a way of saying, "I hope the audience likes you well enough to not thrown rotten produce at you" & yes, that custom was started back then.

[carolinablue]

I did not know that. I guess I was guilty of sreading a theatre myth. Those things will never die. LOL

[sdix00]

<br />

<br />It's kinda like '&quot; break a leg &quot; in show biz.<br />

<br /><br />OK - Gotta jump in here; been in theatre all my life.  I know only about 1% of you will be interested in this, but what the hell . . . <br /><br />&quot;Break a leg' doesn't mean that; it's a common misconception that wishing someone 'Good Luck' in the theatre is, in fact, bad luck and so a tradition was started to wish the actor the opposite, just so you didn't jinx them.  That is not, however, where the tradition came from.<br /><br />Modern custom is for women to curtsy and men to bow, but that's not how it was then.  Back in the 1500's, all actors were men (women were not allowed on stage) and the curtsy was the accepted way to take applause; <i><b>but</b></i> not all actors got to <i>take</i> applause.  Audiences were <b><u>much</u></b> harsher back then and only the best actors remained on stage long enough to acknowledge the audience.  When you curtsy properly (that is, very low) one of your legs stays straight, and the other bends at the knee - that's the 'leg break' being referred to.<br /><br />So saying, 'break a leg' was a way of saying, &quot;I hope the audience likes you well enough to not thrown rotten produce at you&quot;  &amp; yes, <u>that</u> custom <i>was</i> started back then.<br />

<br /><br /><br />

So there are 41 myths. . .huh. :)

[Dragon29]

I did not know that. I guess I was guilty of sreading a theatre myth. Those things will never die. LOL

Hey! Don't feel bad - as I said, I've been in theatre all my life and most people in theatre believe that myth.

My mother taught (among other things) Theatre History in college and not only did I take her course, I helped her in her research, so I've dug a bit deeper than most.

[Cajuncubsfan]

Well all my games have gone fine. The only problem I have had was with one of the White shirts "State board member" he is an ace hole. Bitched at me threw the fence about not checking the bats (it the first game I have ever called where I had to go to the dugouts and check bats and helmets one by one, I will never forget and may do it all the time now), bitched because I made a kid take a wrist band off (They were told not to wear them), bitched about what he thought was a balk (the kids was spinning and throwing to first, it would have been a balk if he didt throw) & bitched about an unmanned bat in the on desk circle (When there was a kid about to pick it up, I wasn't stopping play for that, "Let's keep rolling it's hot out here!")

I handled it, I told him if he had anything else to say to tell the State UCI or I would go change and he could get out there. He came to me yesterday after my last game and apologized and told me I called some great games. ;-)

[T-Rav]

Well all my games have gone fine. The only problem I have had was with one of the White shirts "State board member" he is an ace hole. Bitched at me threw the fence about not checking the bats (it the first game I have ever called where I had to go to the dugouts and check bats and helmets one by one, I will never forget and may do it all the time now), bitched because I made a kid take a wrist band off (They were told not to wear them), bitched about what he thought was a balk (the kids was spinning and throwing to first, it would have been a balk if he didt throw) & bitched about an unmanned bat in the on desk circle (When there was a kid about to pick it up, I wasn't stopping play for that, "Let's keep rolling it's hot out here!")

I handled it, I told him if he had anything else to say to tell the State UCI or I would go change and he could get out there. He came to me yesterday after my last game and apologized and told me I called some great games. ;-)

Congrats! His son's team must have won that day.

[Umpire in Chief]

Well all my games have gone fine. The only problem I have had was with one of the White shirts "State board member" he is an ace hole. Bitched at me threw the fence about not checking the bats (it the first game I have ever called where I had to go to the dugouts and check bats and helmets one by one, I will never forget and may do it all the time now), bitched because I made a kid take a wrist band off (They were told not to wear them), bitched about what he thought was a balk (the kids was spinning and throwing to first, it would have been a balk if he didt throw) & bitched about an unmanned bat in the on desk circle (When there was a kid about to pick it up, I wasn't stopping play for that, "Let's keep rolling it's hot out here!")

I handled it, I told him if he had anything else to say to tell the State UCI or I would go change and he could get out there. He came to me yesterday after my last game and apologized and told me I called some great games. ;-)

There's no reason for a state board member to act like that to one of his umpires. If he has issues he should discuss it in private. Acting like an ass like that undermines your authority. Now if there were a contentious situation the coaches will not think you are competent and will use the jerks behavior to lay into you harder.

I'd think twice before wanting to return to them in the future.

But congratz on the game again.

[carolinablue]

It's kinda like '" break a leg " in show biz.

OK - Gotta jump in here; been in theatre all my life. I know only about 1% of you will be interested in this, but what the hell . . .

"Break a leg' doesn't mean that; it's a common misconception that wishing someone 'Good Luck' in the theatre is, in fact, bad luck and so a tradition was started to wish the actor the opposite, just so you didn't jinx them. That is not, however, where the tradition came from.

Modern custom is for women to curtsy and men to bow, but that's not how it was then. Back in the 1500's, all actors were men (women were not allowed on stage) and the curtsy was the accepted way to take applause; but not all actors got to take applause. Audiences were much harsher back then and only the best actors remained on stage long enough to acknowledge the audience. When you curtsy properly (that is, very low) one of your legs stays straight, and the other bends at the knee - that's the 'leg break' being referred to.

So saying, 'break a leg' was a way of saying, "I hope the audience likes you well enough to not thrown rotten produce at you" & yes, that custom was started back then.

Dragon,

I always thought the rotten tomato thing was a myth that only happened on TV, but apparently not. So I have to ask, where did the rotten produce come from. Did the audience bring it with them in case the actors stunk the place up, or maybe it was supplied by the theatre? I can't imagine a person just happened to have a couple of rotten tomatos with them and since this guy stinks........

[yawetag]

My guess is that it started away from the theatre and migrated toward it. I'd imagine thespians would show off their trade in the streets, probably in the vicinity of a produce seller.

[Dragon29]

My guess is that it started away from the theatre and migrated toward it. I'd imagine thespians would show off their trade in the streets, probably in the vicinity of a produce seller.

Ding! Ding! DIng! We have a winner!

Yes - established theatrical venues simply didn't exist outside the homes of the nobility, and even then it was rare. So, performers went where the people were - town squares, markets, etc... to ply their trade and then ask for money from the crowd. If they were good, pennies were thrown by the crowd and it wasn't unusual for the local vendors to feed the troupe as their presence attracted customers.

Actually, throwing produce wasn't first & no-one could afford to throw anything valuable anyway; hence the tendency toward rotten food, typically supplied by the very vendors who would have fed them had they been any good!

The first projectiles were not so comfortable for the actors. Just think how many horses and other animals used to wander the streets of 16th century towns and you'll know exactly where most of the ammunition was found.

(OK - they used rocks, too)

[carolinablue]

Good thing this never caught on during a baseball game. You know, bombarding the umps every time they miss a call. That would suck.

[Dragon29]

Good thing this never caught on during a baseball game. You know, bombarding the umps every time they miss a call. That would suck.

You mean - that doesn't happen in your games? :question1:

[Cajuncubsfan]

Had a great weekend, the games are all down to the last few games and the newer guys like me get fassed out. I got complaments from almost every board member. I hung around as much as I could so I would get noticed. I had some great games and had a lot of fun. I'm resting tonight and I'm going to take my boys with me after work to watch the finals tomorrow. Should be some good ball.

[Rich Ives]

It's kinda like '" break a leg " in show biz.

OK - Gotta jump in here; been in theatre all my life. I know only about 1% of you will be interested in this, but what the hell . . .

"Break a leg' doesn't mean that; it's a common misconception that wishing someone 'Good Luck' in the theatre is, in fact, bad luck and so a tradition was started to wish the actor the opposite, just so you didn't jinx them. That is not, however, where the tradition came from.

Modern custom is for women to curtsy and men to bow, but that's not how it was then. Back in the 1500's, all actors were men (women were not allowed on stage) and the curtsy was the accepted way to take applause; but not all actors got to take applause. Audiences were much harsher back then and only the best actors remained on stage long enough to acknowledge the audience. When you curtsy properly (that is, very low) one of your legs stays straight, and the other bends at the knee - that's the 'leg break' being referred to.

So saying, 'break a leg' was a way of saying, "I hope the audience likes you well enough to not thrown rotten produce at you" & yes, that custom was started back then.

That's one of the theories:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Break_a_leg

[noumpere]

Good thing this never caught on during a baseball game. You know, bombarding the umps every time they miss a call. That would suck.

It would not make any difference to me lol.

[Dragon29]

It's kinda like '" break a leg " in show biz.

OK - Gotta jump in here; been in theatre all my life. I know only about 1% of you will be interested in this, but what the hell . . .

"Break a leg' doesn't mean that; it's a common misconception that wishing someone 'Good Luck' in the theatre is, in fact, bad luck and so a tradition was started to wish the actor the opposite, just so you didn't jinx them. That is not, however, where the tradition came from.

Modern custom is for women to curtsy and men to bow, but that's not how it was then. Back in the 1500's, all actors were men (women were not allowed on stage) and the curtsy was the accepted way to take applause; but not all actors got to take applause. Audiences were much harsher back then and only the best actors remained on stage long enough to acknowledge the audience. When you curtsy properly (that is, very low) one of your legs stays straight, and the other bends at the knee - that's the 'leg break' being referred to.

So saying, 'break a leg' was a way of saying, "I hope the audience likes you well enough to not thrown rotten produce at you" & yes, that custom was started back then.

That's one of the theories:

http://en.wikipedia....iki/Break_a_leg

Well, since my research was done using multiple accredited historical texts, some dating more than 300 years old, and was guided by two college professors, I'll take my chances that my information is more accurate than that melting pot of random information that is Wikipedia

[mstaylor]

Why Stuart? Wikipedia agrees with you. It mearly notes what the saying has come to mean in modern theatre. I too have spent most of my life doing theatre, including owning a dinner theatre, but do mostly concert and corperate work now. That is why I am so far behind on my responses, I have working on the Dew Tour for the past three weeks with no computor.

[Dragon29]

Michael,

True, in part - but I was addressing the question of the origin of the phrase, not the current meaning.

For example, in my studies of Greek drama, I found no reference whatsoever of the supposed 'stomp their legs till they broke' theory; in fact, I cannot recall anything that indicated Greek audiences even expressed their appreciation to the performers. Many of the 'plays' took at least several hours, and often almost an entire day to perform, so the audience members would wander in and out as their daily life allowed.