Stealing

Poor John Dennis.  In 1709, the playwright devised a novel technology to simulate thunder to accompany his drama Appius and Virginia.  The play flopped and was promptly booted out of the theatre.  To add salt to the wound, Dennis's thunder-generating technique was stolen and inserted into a staging of Macbeth.  He accused the producers of 'stealing his thunder', birthing a phrase that  has long outlived his work.

Alexander Cohen, The  Spectator, 10th