nPostednNovember 9, 2013
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Anfamous person is sometimes said to be “in the limelight.” n
Anfamous person is sometimes said to be “in the limelight.” nn
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nHavenyou ever wondered what on earth that means? Do limes (and perhapsntheir close relatives, lemons) give off light – under certainncircumstances? Like, when they’re near celebrities?
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nActually,nthe “lime” in “limelight” is more akin to the kind of “lime”nin “limestone.”
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nThensedimentary rock we call limestone is usually made from shells andnskeletons of ancient creatures pressed together over a long period ofntime. Limestone is made of calcium and aragonite, that is, variousnforms of calcium carbonate. (You know calcium—it’s that mineral wenwant you to have for your teeth and bones; some people get it byndrinking milk.)
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nAnsubstance called quicklime is made of calcium oxide—and it is thisnthat was used by Thomas Drummond on this date in 1825 to create anvery strong light source.
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nA flame made from burning oxygen andnhydrogen was directed at a cylinder of quicklime, and the lime gavenoff incandescent light that was brilliant yet soft and mellow rathernthan harsh.
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nDrummondncreated limes (which is what the actual lights were called) fornsurveying—because limelight was so bright it could be seen morenthan 66 miles away. But limelight became very common in theaters allnover the world. Limelight was often used to highlight a solo artist,nin the same way that electric spotlights are used today.
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nSona now-outdated light source that was developed for surveying but usednin theaters is the reason we often talk about celebrities being “innthe limelight”…but what the phrase really means is that the medianand the public pay a lot of attention to celebrities’ activities andnclothes and opinions.
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nAlsonon this date:
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Iqbal Day in Pakistan
Iqbal Day in Pakistan n
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AstronomernCarl Sagan’s birthday
AstronomernCarl Sagan’s birthdayn
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n(a.k.a.SagannDay)
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nAnniversarynof the Great Northeast Blackout
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AstronomernBenjamin Banneker’s birthday
AstronomernBenjamin Banneker’s birthdayn
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nPlannAhead:
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Checknout my Pinterest boards for:
Checknout my Pinterest boards for:
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nn Novembern holidays
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nn Novembern birthdays
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- n Historicaln anniversaries in November
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nAndnhere are my Pinterest boards for:
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nn Decembern holidays
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nn Decembern birthdays
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- n Historicaln anniversaries in December
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