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You are here: Home / Language / Why Is it Bad Luck To Whistle Backstage In a Theatre and Where Did the Superstition Come From?

Why Is it Bad Luck To Whistle Backstage In a Theatre and Where Did the Superstition Come From?

June 30, 2020 by Karen Hill

Whistling backstage became bad luck during a time in England when stagehands were most often sailors without a ship.

The curtain, flies, and props were moved manually by a system of ropes, so the sailors communicated as they did at sea, by whistling.

If someone not involved in the intricate backstage maneuvers were to whistle, a stagehand might take it as a cue, which could be disastrous for the production.

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Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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