Toi toi toi
"Toi toi toi" (English: /ˈtɔɪ ˈtɔɪ ˈtɔɪ/)[1] is an expression used in the performing arts to wish an artist success in an imminent performance. It is similar to "break a leg" and reflects a superstition that wishing someone "good luck" is in fact bad luck.[2][3][4].
Origin
Toi toi toi was an idiom used to ward off a spell or hex, often accompanied by knocking on wood or spitting. The origin is a threefold warning of the devil (Teufel, pr. toi-fell) in German dialect:
No’ kommt mer in’s Teu-Teu-Teufelskuchen bey ihm. There is more yet in the De-De-Devil's cake!
Also from Rotwelsch tof and from Yiddish tov ("good", derived from the Hebrew טוב and with phonetic similarities to the Old German tiuvel "Devil.")[5]
Spitting idea
A separate explanation sees "toi toi toi" as the onomatopoeic rendition of spitting three times. Doing so over someone's head or shoulder allegedly warded off evil spirits. Saliva traditionally had demon-banishing powers. A similar-sounding expression for verbal spitting occurs in modern Hebrew as "Tfu, tfu" (here, only twice), which some say that Hebrew-speakers borrowed from Russian.[6]
Similar expressions
An alternate operatic good luck charm, originating from Italy, is the phrase "in bocca al lupo!" ("In the mouth of the wolf") with the response "Crepi!" ("May he [the wolf] die"). Amongst actors "Break a leg" is the usual phrase, while for professional dancers the traditional saying is "merde". In Spanish, the phrase is "mucha mierda", or "lots of shit".[7][8][9]
See also
References
- ^ "If you hear "Toi, toi, toi" at tonight's Houston Grand Opera performance, don't be surprised". Retrieved 25 September 2015.
- ^ Libby, Steve (July 1985). "It's a superstitious world: Of black cats, lucky numbers, broken mirrors..." The Rotarian. 147 (1): 30–31. ISSN 0035-838X.
- ^ Peterson, Lenka; O'Connor, Dan (2006). Kids Take the Stage: Helping Young People Discover the Creative Outlet of Theater (2 ed.). Random House Digital. p. 203. ISBN 0-8230-7746-2.
- ^ Helterbran, Valeri R. (2008). Exploring Idioms: A Critical-Thinking Resource for Grades 4–8. Maupin House Publishing. p. 24. ISBN 1-934338-14-1.
- ^ "Spit Your Way To Safety: Toi, toi, toi!". Forward Association, Inc. 11 February 2009. Retrieved 29 March 2010.
- ^ "Word of the Day / Jook ג׳וק A grisly load from Russian". Haaretz online, 18 August 2013.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Urdang, Laurence; Hunsinger, Walter W.; LaRoche, Nancy (1985). Picturesque Expressions: A thematic dictionary (2 ed.). Gale Research. p. 321. ISBN 0-8103-1606-4.
- ^ McConnell, Joan; McConnell, Teena (1977). Ballet as body language. Harper & Row. ISBN 0-06-012964-6.
- ^ The QI Elves. "No Such Thing As The Ugly Panda". No Such Thing as a Fish. No. 62. Quite Interesting Ltd. Retrieved 7 June 2015.