[Ads-l] break one's leg

[Joan Hall]

Thanks for the early citation, Jonathan. DARE shows that the phrase was still found, chiefly in the South, in the mid-twentieth century:

break one’s leg v phr
Also break one’s toe chiefly South<https://www-daredictionary-com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/search?rcode=region.Sth>
euphem
To become pregnant.

  *   1908 DN<https://www-daredictionary-com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/bibliography?letterHeading=D#bibl_3038> 3.294 eAL, wGA,<https://www-daredictionary-com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/search?f_0=reglabel&q_0=eAL,%20wGA> Break one’s leg. . . Of a woman, to become with child illegitimately.
  *   1965–70 DARE<https://www-daredictionary-com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/bibliography?letterHeading=D#bibl_11064>
Qu. AA28, . . Expressions . . to say [a woman] is going to have a baby: “She[’s] _____.”
Infs FL51, LA6, NJ69, NC88, VA41, Broke her leg; AL50, Broke a leg; AL56, Got a leg broke; CA114, GA70, MS60, WV4, 5, Broke her toe.

  *   1979 DARE File<https://www-daredictionary-com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/bibliography?letterHeading=D#bibl_11067> cSC,<https://www-daredictionary-com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/search?f_0=reglabel&q_0=cSC> There used to be the expression . . meaning pregnant. Mrs. Brown’s daughter broke her leg.

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