step on a crack, break your mother's back

step on a crack, break your mother's back

A children's rhyme about the superstitious belief that stepping on a crack, as in the sidewalk, will cause one's mother's back to break. It's a true summer day in the neighborhood—the kids are outside playing red rover and tag and shouting things like "Step on a crack, break your mother's back!"

See also: back, break, on, step

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.