Have you ever wondered where some of the common phrases we say have originated from? I think about stuff like this all the time. I have a list of the little things I hear people say and I wonder to myself, why do we say that? Every Monday I am going to post a phrase and share with you my research as to why we say some of the things we do.
Limelight:
The Boston Celtics were in the limelight last night after winning game two of the NBA Championship Playoffs. Ha, I just had to put a plug in for the Celtics. Being in the "limelight" simply means being at the center of attention.
Just so you know limelight is an intense white light rather than a green lime colored light. It is produced by heating a cylinder of lime with an oxygen and hydrogen flame. This method, accredited to Thomas Drummond -a Scottish surveyor, engineer and politician, was used in theaters, as the forerunner to modern spotlights, in the early 19th century. Stage performers would compete to be at the center of attention, in the limelight, where they would be the most visible to the audience. Now, electrical lights have replaced limelights. However, in theaters today, followspots, a fancy way to say spotlights, are called limes or so I've heard.
Limelights were first used at the Covent Garden in London in 1837.
As always, if you have a common phrase that you would like to know what it means, why we say it, and where it comes from, then leave me a comment and I will do the research for you. Happy musing!
1 comment:
Oooooo Jenn - I LOVE this idea. I like learning interesting facts. I will look forward to all your "research". I think my husband had a book with a bunch of stuff like that.
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