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Merde: Poop and Good Luck
What is your favorite way to wish someone good luck?
In ballet, we often say “merde” (because good luck is actually considered bad luck), even though it actually means sh*t in French. I love talking about poop any chance I can get (we all do it!) In other areas of theater we say “break a leg” or other variations that avoid actually saying “good luck”, as well. I’m sure most of you know this, so just writing it out incase it sparks another “weird form of good luck” in your memory as you’re skimming.
Do you have any “good luck” traditions before a long hospital stay or surgery that bring you comfort?
Do you eat a certain meal, or sing a certain song, or say a specific prayer?
I take a “good luck selfie” with my husband before going under, because now that I’ve done it once, I’m superstitious about not repeating. How silly is that? (I also do other actually calming things but I’ve definitely written about them here before). In terms of saying “good luck” or not, “merde” is always my preference because it’s also fun.
What about you?
(PS: Wish me Merde… I’ll be back on the forum super soon! Treat my Jenny well?)
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3 Replies
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I’m very much a “sending love” kind of gal. To me, it can mean so many things from “good luck” to “my condolences” to “I miss you” and everything in between. I always hope the recipient knows that I mean it genuinely, from the bottom of my heart. So (although I already sent this sentiment via text) I’m sending so much love to you as you head into this surgery. We will be thinking of you. Merde!
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I’m very much a “sending love” kind of gal. To me, it can mean so many things from “good luck” to “my condolences” to “I miss you” and everything in between. I always hope the recipient knows that I mean it genuinely, from the bottom of my heart. So (although I already sent this sentiment via text) I’m sending so much love to you as you head into this surgery. We will be thinking of you. Merde!
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Hals und Beinbruch, Break a Leg, Toi-toi-toi* … specifically used in theatre-setting to wish for good luck in German, English or Dutch respectively. I hope it also works in the surgical theatre you play in regularly.
To stay close to your wish: in (not so contemporary) Dutch there is the saying “eerst poepen, dan dansen” or translated: “first poop, then dance”, to point out that you do first what needs doing most, and then the rest.
Hang in there!
* this is believed to be an onomatopoeia of the knocking on wood (touchwood / knock-on-wood) we do to express a hope for one’s good luck to continue
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