To steal someone's thunder
Meaning: To take credit for another's idea or upstage their big moment.
Language: English
Literally: To take someone's thunder for yourself
Category: Daily Life
Origin: Playwright John Dennis invented a thunder machine for his 1709 play; when rivals used the effect in Macbeth he raged that they had stolen his thunder.
More idioms — Daily Life
- Die Kirche im Dorf lassen — To keep things in proportion and not get carried away.
- Das Leben ist kein Ponyhof — Life is not all fun and games; expect hardship.
- Estar de Rodríguez — To be a husband left working in town while the family is on holiday.
- Ogni morte di papa — Extremely rarely; once in a blue moon.
- 油を売る — To slack off or dawdle when you should be working.
- Chutar o balde — To stop caring and let everything go — unlike the English, nobody dies.
More English idioms
- To turn a blind eye — To deliberately ignore something you know is wrong.
- Hair of the dog — A morning drink taken to cure a hangover.
- To bite the bullet — To face something painful with gritted courage.
- To go cold turkey — To quit a habit abruptly and completely.
- To cut the mustard — To meet the required standard; to succeed.
- To chew the fat — To chat idly and at length.
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