Stole his thunder: from sound effects

Posted by R. Berg on December 11, 2004

In Reply to: What does it mean? posted by joy on December 11, 2004

: 1.empty vessels make the most sound.
: 2.he stole his thunder.
: 3.she's thirty if she's a day?

I've read that "They have stolen my thunder" originated with a playwright who devised a new way of creating the sound of thunder for storm scenes and found another theater group using it. Nothing to do with Thor's hammer.

To steal someone's thunder is to take credit for the person's achievement.