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Italian Expression
| Meaning | break a leg (good luck) | |
| Literally | in the wolf’s mouth | |
| Register | normal | |
| Pronunciation |  |
[een boh kah ah loo po] |
| IPA | [in ‘bo ka a ‘lu po] | |
Usage notes: In bocca al lupo literally means "in the wolf’s mouth," but it’s really used in order to wish someone luck, like when going onstage (similar to "break a leg" in English) or when doing something challenging, such as starting a new job or taking a test.
In response, you might say Crepi il lupo (May the wolf die) or just Crepi.
Actually wishing someone "good luck" (buona fortuna) is superstitiously considered bad luck.
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