On this program we teach common English expressions and how to use them . Many English expressions come from weather . We have talked about many in past shows . Recently we talked about lightning and how it never strikes twice … except when it does . Well , today we talk about the noise that comes with lightning . Thunder is an awesome sound . It is nature's warning system . It tells us that something extremely powerful and deadly -- lightning -- may be coming soon . All this you already know . But did you know this ? You can also steal thunder ! That's right -- in English expressions you can . If you think about it , thunder is pretty amazing . From low rumblings to sharp cracks , it is easy for thunder to take our attention away from what we are doing . We stop and look to the sky . Is it going to rain ? Am I in danger of getting hit by lightning ? As an expression , thunder works the same way . When you steal someone's thunder , you steal attention away from them . We have many words that mean the same thing . You beat them . You best them . You surpass them . Staying in the world of weather we have these two expressions : outshine and eclipse . If you steal a co-worker's thunder , you outshine her or eclipse her . You take attention away from her and put it on you . We also have these two words : outperform and , from theater , upstage . If you outperform or upstage your friend , you have stolen his thunder . You can steal thunder by simply doing something better . Here is an example set in a baking competition . This is where people bake something like bread , pies , or a cake and then are judged . ANNOUNCER : Congratulations to Tanisha Hightower for winning the award for Best Cake with her chocolate cake . In a minute , we will announce the winner for Best Pie . But first , some announcements . We have a lost child . Will the parents of little Timmy please come to the main stage area … JACKSON : Well , Clarise , we all know that you will win the Best Pie award . You win every year for your cherry pie . I have won for the last five years with my Famous Cherry Pie . But you never know . Maybe this year someone else will win . I doubt it . They are going to announce the winner . ANNOUNCER : … the winner of the Best Pie is … Doug Johnson for his cherry pie . Congratulations to Doug ! There must be a mistake ! My cherry pie always wins ! And who is Doug Johnson ?? JACKSON : He is someone who just totally stole your thunder . You can also steal a person's thunder by doing something before that person . Let's say you know that someone plans to do or say something – something good . So , you plan to do or say it first . But remember , it only counts as “stealing thunder ” if your words or actions are a success or get a lot of praise .