Josef Stalin is infamous for the campaign of terror unleashed in the post-revolution Soviet Union. Little know is the fact that Stalin wasn't his actual last name. The son of a cobbler from the region of Georgia, he was born Josef Dzhugashvili. He changed his last name to Stalin in 1912 when he became active in politics; Stalin means "man of steel." by Sulekha.com

During World War II, the Allied soldiers came up with an affectionate term for a bomb that was so powerful it could level an entire block: blockbuster. After the war when bombs were no longer experienced so frequently, the term was used for anything that caused a major impact. Especially for highly successful movies and books. by Sulekha.com

Kings of ancient Rome built huge stadiums to stage entertainment events for the royalty and the public. These stadiums, circular in shape, got the name circus for circle. The name migrated from referring to the stadiums to the acts within, especially those involving gymnasts, acrobats and animals. by Sulekha.com

The year was 1749. John Cleland wrote a blockbuster novel, Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure, featuring Fanny Hill as the heroine in this compelling description of life in a brothel. For some reason people started using the word fanny to refer to the posterior of an attractive female and over time, the slang word was used to refer to the posteriors of all men and women. by Sulekha.com

In the days before DVDs, CDs and audio tapes when vinyl records ruled supreme, most records that carried a chart-busting single on one side carried a not-so-great song on the other side, called the flip side. The phrase was carried into other domains to refer to the undesirable aspect of any issue or option. by Sulekha.com

In 1919, an American artist by name E.C.Segar started syndicating a cartoon strip, Alice the Goon, featuring a tough-looking, well-built fellow prone to destoying stuff. The fellow's name was Goon and that eventually became a common noun to refer to all toughies of that ilk. by Sulekha.com

The year was 1816. The world of theater found a savior in Thomas Drummond who invented a device that could focus bright light on a particular spot on the stage. He used a cylinder of lime heated to incandescence as the source of this light. Now you know how the phrase limelight came to be used to refer to the focus of attention in any situation. by Sulekha.com

Any person who deviates from the policies or laws of an organization is said to be "out of line." This usage comes to us from perhaps two different situations: military and arts. Soldiers marching along are supposed to walk in a straight line and be in synch. Similarly, it is critically important for dancers in a chorus line to be in line to deliver the desired effect. by Sulekha.com

It has been a tradition in the domain of Italian opera to call the leading female performer the "first lady" or prima donna in Italian. These stars got special treatment, perks and recognition in promotions. The term prima donna found its way slowly into other areas also. by Sulekha.com

Imagine a puppet show. The puppeteer has a lot influence on what happens on the stage. Now how does he or she command such influence? How else? By pulling strings. The phrase has come to mean making things happen through use of influence. by Sulekha.com