Where does the expression steal someone’s thunder come from?
4 min read
Asked by: Rachel Fernandez
This idiom comes from an actual incident in which playwright and critic John Dennis (1657-1734) devised a “thunder machine” (by rattling a sheet of tin backstage) for his play, Appius and Virginia (1709), and a few days later discovered the same device being used in a performance of Macbeth, whereupon he declared, ” …
What does the phrase steal your thunder mean?
Definition of steal someone’s thunder
: to prevent someone from having success or getting attention, praise, etc., by doing or saying whatever that person was planning to do or say I didn’t mean to steal your thunder, but I just had to tell your mom about your promotion.
Who first used the phrase day steal my thunder?
dramatist John Dennis
So where does this phrase originate? The idiom comes from the dramatist John Dennis (1658-1734), who created an innovative thunder machine for his 1709 play Appius and Virginia.
Who stole thunder from the gods?
Zeus is introduced to us in the Percy Jackson books when his lightening bolt is stolen. The God of thunder accuses his brother Poseidon of being behind the theft. Zeus believes his brother used a human hero named Percy to steal the master bolt in the attempt to overthrow him as ruler of Mount.
What does it mean to steal someone’s fire?
1 to take (something) from someone, etc. without permission or unlawfully, esp. in a secret manner. 2 tr to obtain surreptitiously.
Why not go out on a limb meaning?
phrase. If someone goes out on a limb, they do something they strongly believe in even though it is risky or extreme, and is likely to fail or be criticized by other people. They can see themselves going out on a limb, voting for a very controversial energy bill.
What is the meaning of the idiom go out on a limb?
In a difficult, awkward, or vulnerable position, as in I lodged a complaint about low salaries, but the people who had supported me left me out on a limb. This expression alludes to an animal climbing out on the limb of a tree and then being afraid or unable to retreat. [
What do you do when someone tries to steal your thunder?
Here are a few thoughts:
- Seek clarification. It could be an accident. …
- Request (nicely) a clarification. If it’s clear they did pass off your work as theirs or they took credit for your idea, ask them (in private) if they could clarify to others that it was actually your work. …
- Demand a correction. …
- Go nuclear or get over it.
What is the meaning of the last straw?
Definition of the final/last straw
: the last in a series of bad things that happen to make someone very upset, angry, etc. It had been a difficult week, so when the car broke down, it was the last straw.
What does the idiom red tape mean?
Definition of red tape
: official routine or procedure marked by excessive complexity which results in delay or inaction bureaucratic red tape … enterprisers that show how people across the Nation are coping (or not coping) with such problems as unemployment, the budget deficit and Government red tape.— John Weisman …
What is the meaning of it’s a piece of cake?
something easily done
Definition of piece of cake
: something easily done : cinch, breeze.
What does like two peas in a pod mean?
very similar to
Definition of two peas in a pod
—used to say that two people or things are very similar to each other My brother and I are two peas in a pod. We both like the same things.
Is the cat out of the bag meaning?
To disclose a secret: “The mayor’s visit was to be kept strictly confidential, but someone must have let the cat out of the bag, because the airport was swarming with reporters.”
What does the idiom bite your tongue mean?
Refrain from speaking out, as in A new grandmother must learn to bite her tongue so as not to give unwanted advice, or I’m sure it’ll rain during graduation. —Bite your tongue! This term alludes to holding the tongue between the teeth in an effort not to say something one might regret.
What is the meaning of can’t cut the mustard?
To cut the mustard is “to reach or surpass the desired standard or performance” or more generally “to succeed, to have the ability to do something.” For instance, Beyoncé really cut the mustard in her new song.
What does the saying hold your horses mean?
old-fashioned informal. used to tell someone to stop and consider carefully their decision or opinion about something: Just hold your horses, Bill! Let’s think about this for a moment.
