Limelight

Bysuehar

WILD WORD FRIDAY! 

Our word today is LIMELIGHT.  LIMELIGHT (as a compound word) has its genesis in the world of science.   

Goldsworthy Gurney (1793-1875), a British surgeon and chemist, discovered the “LIMELIGHT effect,” which refers to the intense light that occurs when an oxyhydrogen flame intersects a cylinder of quicklime. 

In 1837, to highlight performances London’s Covent Garden Theatre began using spotlights that generated light through the LIMELIGHT effect.  Although supplanted by electric lights by the end of that century, LIMELIGHTs are still with us in the form of a word that refers to a conspicuous public appearance.

Q4U:  Are you a LIMELIGHT kind of person or someone who is a bit more shy?

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