Can "break one's ankle" mean premarital pregnacy?

I've never heard the phrase used in that context. The common phrase for pregnancy is "a bun in the oven."

It could mean a few things based on context. One thing that comes to mind is that in times/ places where premarital pregnancy was especially shameful, there may be another medical excuse for why someone is out of the public eye (not going to school, for example). As in, perhaps a teenager becomes pregnant and then stays home from school for several months for the public reason of having a "broken ankle".

At any rate, that seems specific to the autobiography you're reading, not a more general phrase. Lots of phrases/ euphemisms for pregnancy -- Debra's, "knocked up", "in the family way", "expecting", "eating for two", etc.

During the '50's when I was in high school a cheerleader with a great deal of enthusiasm and little common sense spent a summer "visiting her aunt". Her mother explained--with a great deal of enthusiasm and little common sense that Dee had "sprained a gland" in cheerleading practice.

Thank you all, but I fail to get any hint from the book I read because it is only provided as an English equivalent for the original text of premarital pregnacy.

ilovequestions--

Can you provide us with the quote in context?

Noddy24, the original text is in Chinese. The author gives some English equivalents in brackets for some Chinese words. "break one's ankle" is for 未婚先孕.

In this case, the context is of little importance. I just wonder whether it can mean premarital pregnacy. Thank you!

East is east and west is west and ne'er the twain shall meet.

Never heard it over here!

I don't think it has been in current use for a long time, but it certainly was used in the 18th century. In the summer of 1761 a young unmarried lady called Lady Sarah Lennox, at her family's country estate for the summer, broke her leg riding and wasn't able to go back to London for the start of the fashionable "social season". When London society heard that Lady Sarah was staying in the country with a "broken leg" the gossips were convinced that she was actually having an illegitimate baby.

"Ankh" is an Egyptian symbol that was believed to be magical and the symbol for life. If the saying was in the context of premarital pregnancy being bad then it could be referring to her breaking her virginity, no longer able to comeback. The Egyptians, in modern times enjoy relating the ankh to sex but most of it is to believed to be made up.

here is th URL is you can't see the image

http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/ankh1.jpg