... people in the public eye are said to be "in the limelight?"
Limelight refers to a system of lighting invented in 1825 by a British army officer named
Thomas Drummond. Drummond's light was called "limelight" because it was produced by burning a
cylinder of lime (calcium oxide) in an oxyhydrogen flame. As the lime was oxidized by the flame, it
produced an intense, brilliant light that could be directed into a beam by a glass lens.
Drummond's light was originally used to make distant survey stations more visible at night, but later it was also used in lighthouses and for stage lighting. In the theater it was used as a spotlight to direct the audience's attention to the most important activities taking place onstage. Performers in this light were said to be "in the limelight," and when the expression passed into general usage, it meant anyone at the center of public attention.
Do you have any questions you've been wondering about?
Let me know, and I'll see what I can do.
