# Origin of ''To steal one's thunder'' **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 12, 2001, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-to-steal-ones-thunder/75884 "2001-08-12T05:46:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Opus1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/858c86/32.png) [@Opus1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Opus1)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2001, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-to-steal-ones-thunder/75884/1 "2001-08-12T05:46:23Z")
I just “learned” that this phrase originated in the 18th century in the following way: 1. In 1709, John Dennis wrote and produced a play called “Appius and Virginia,” for which he invented a new way of creating atmospheric sound effects by rattling a sheet of tin. Despite the sound effects, his play was poorly received and closed after only a few performances. A few days later, while watching a production of “Macbeth,” to his outrage he realized that his tin sheet was being used to simulate stormy weather. Dennis jumped up and made an accusation that has added, for ten points, what phrase to the English language? Answer: They had _STOLEN HIS THUNDER_ Unfortunately, the first few hits I get on yahoo are of dubious credibility, such as [this](http://users.erols.com/nolan/Obscure.htm) “obscure knowledge” site, which mentions that Ohio was the last state admitted into the union…in 1953! Or [this](http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TheOtherHumoristsClub/message/133) post, full of UL-ish word origin nonsense. So, what’s the straight dope? Did the phrase actually originate this way, or is this one of those “Port out, Starboard Home” type stories made up after the fact? ---
**Author:** ![SolomonGrundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@SolomonGrundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SolomonGrundy)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2001, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-to-steal-ones-thunder/75884/2 "2001-08-12T06:26:01Z")
It sounds bogus to me, too, but there are some more sources that I’d consider to be more trustworthy, and they give the same story: [http://www.bartleby.com/100/202.2.html](http://www.bartleby.com/100/202.2.html) ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2001, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-to-steal-ones-thunder/75884/3 "2001-08-12T06:27:26Z")
That’s pretty close to what I was told. The way I heard it was that the star’s oratory was referred to as “thunder”, and to upstage the star was to steal his thunder. Must be something to do with the stage. Who knows? Peace, mangeorge ---
**Author:** ![Swirdle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4bbf92/32.png) [@Swirdle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swirdle)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2001, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-to-steal-ones-thunder/75884/4 "2001-08-12T08:29:25Z")
Yep, it is right. I can’t remember the details of which play, when, and which theatre but the ‘wobble board’ -noise theft is correct. ---
**Author:** ![spacecat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@spacecat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spacecat)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2001, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-to-steal-ones-thunder/75884/5 "2001-08-12T16:39:43Z")
Actually, that story about Ohio is true. There was even a straight dope article about it. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2001, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-to-steal-ones-thunder/75884/6 "2001-08-12T17:20:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by spacecat \* > \*\*Actually, that story about Ohio is true. There was even a straight dope article about it. \*\* I don’t think anyone doubts the veracity of the story, but that still doesn’t make Ohio the last state to be admitted into the Union - legally, perhaps, but not de facto. It was admitted early in the 19th Century and a technical formality did not vitiate its statehood, esp. when it had been recognized as a state since it’s admission in the 1800s. ---
**Author:** ![Opus1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/858c86/32.png) [@Opus1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Opus1)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2001, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-to-steal-ones-thunder/75884/7 "2001-08-12T21:24:04Z")
Thanks everyone. I’m aware of Cecil’s column about Ohio, but the part about it being the last state is bogus, because even if it was admitted in 1953, Alaska and Hawaii were admitted in 1959! ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2001, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-to-steal-ones-thunder/75884/8 "2001-08-13T01:17:50Z")
Alaska was 1958; Hawaii was 1959. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2001, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-to-steal-ones-thunder/75884/9 "2001-08-13T01:43:48Z")
As far as your OP Opus1, try Michael Quinion’s wonderful site [worldwidewords](http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-ste2.htm). He clearly says that the origin is true, even though you may have found it on a site which also contained rather bogus info. He also indicates it is attested to at the time(no, not the night of the play, but a few years thereafter). ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2001, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-to-steal-ones-thunder/75884/10 "2001-08-13T02:58:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RealityChuck \* > Alaska was 1958; Hawaii was 1959. Nope, they were both 59 – Alaska on Jan 3 and Hawaii on Aug 21.