Steal My Thunder

First, the expression "to steal one's thunder" refers to depriving someone of admiration or attention by doing or saying in a way that was not intended by them. Even though the language is a little hazy, it's wonderful to end on an idiom with some degree of certainty—we know who originally said it and even when they uttered it.

This one was created during the start of the 18th century. John Dennis, an English essayist and critic, also aspired to write plays, however he lacked the necessary literary skills. He composed and produced a new play titled Appius and Virginia in 1709. The show quickly came to an end due to the apathetic audience response, but Dennis did get one thing right: a novel type of thunder machine.

A stagehand would shake a sheet of metal back then, a trick that is still employed in theater today, to simulate the rumbling sound of thunder. Although we don't know how John Dennis's concept worked, it was reportedly excellent enough to be stolen. He heard the unmistakable sound of his invention one evening while watching a performance of Macbeth at the same theater that had canceled Appius and Virginia. He then jumped up from his chair and yelled: "By God, that's my thunder! Although they won't perform my play, the villains steal my thunder.