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Limelight
Limelight
Now, spotlight and limelight may have both come from the theater, but
we use them everywhere.
The basketball player stole the limelight from her teammates with her
amazing three-point shots.
The real estate agent made sure to spotlight the fact that the house
was located in a safe neighborhood with highly-rated schools.
To be in the limelight or the spotlight means that you are the object of
public attention. As the expression goes, ‘all eyes are on you.’ You have
taken center stage. This is also a theater term.
In the theater, the center of the stage is usually a place everyone can
see. The actor taking center stage is easy to recognize. However, that
does not mean that the actor taking center stage can't be upstaged by
another actor.
For example, when two people are married, the bride is supposed to be
in the limelight. She often wears a beautiful, white gown. It would be in
very poor taste to upstage the bride by wearing something white and
even more eye-catching. No one is supposed to upstage the bride!
For example, let’s say the main issue of the parent-teacher meeting
was supposed to be raising money for the school. But that issue was
upstaged by the discovery that the principal was fired! All the parents
wanted to know more about the scandal!
Glossary: