Hog the limelight
Meaning
To dominate attention or praise, preventing others from receiving any recognition.
Origin
The phrase marries two distinct images. 'Hog,' from the 17th century, vividly describes greedy consumption, evoking a pig devouring all available food. The 'limelight' itself was a groundbreaking theatrical lighting technique, invented in the 1820s and popularized by the 1830s. It involved heating a block of quicklime with an oxygen-hydrogen flame to create an intensely bright, focused beam of light, used to illuminate star performers on stage. When combined in the late 19th century, 'hog the limelight' painted a picture of someone greedily monopolizing the intense, brilliant attention that spotlighted the most important person, leaving others literally in the shadows and craving their share of recognition.
Examples
- Every time the team wins, John tries to hog the limelight by taking all the credit for himself.
- The lead singer's flamboyant stage presence often causes her to hog the limelight, even during collaborative performances.