In French culture, the term 'merde' is used as a way to wish someone good luck, particularly in performance and competitive contexts. Historically, it has connections to theater in the 19th century, where the amount of manure from horses outside theaters symbolized a successful turnout. Additionally, there is a superstition that wishing someone well can jinx their luck, making 'merde' a humorous alternative. It serves a similar purpose to the English expression 'break a leg.'
While it's true that is a rude word for faecal matter (shit), you can also use it to wish someone luck before sitting a test or going on stage.
The first is that it dates back to theatrical performances of the 19th century. Elites would travel by horse and carriage to the performance, and then leave their horse out the front.
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