When a person Steals Your Thunder they are taking credit for something that you should really be credited for. The phrase was in widespread use by 1900, especially by jealous politicians claiming their brilliant ideas had been stolen by another. The expression was coined in the early 1700s by John Dennis, a playwright and critic, who discovered the sound of thunder could be reproduced very well by pummelling large tin sheets backstage at the Drury Lane Theatre in London. At this time sound effects were virtually unheard of, and so his idea considerably added to the drama and attracted much attention. His play, on the other hand, did not do well and was replaced by Macbeth within a few weeks. Shortly afterwards, the angry Dennis saw a performance of Macbeth and was furious to hear his thunder being reproduced. He wrote a review of the play the following day, and raged, “See what rascals they are. They will not run my play and yet they steal my thunder”.