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You are here: Home / Language / Where Did The Phrase “Stole My Thunder” Come From and What Does it Mean?

Where Did The Phrase “Stole My Thunder” Come From and What Does it Mean?

March 23, 2020 by Karen Hill

In the early 1700s, English playwright John Dennis introduced a metallic device that imitated the sound of thunder.

The production it was created for failed, and the thunder device was forgotten until months later, when, while attending another play at the same theatre, Dennis heard the unmistakable sound of his invention.

He made such a public fuss that all of London picked up the phrase, they’ve “stolen my thunder.”

It is used when someone takes credit for another person’s achievement.

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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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