lightning in a bottle

Meanings

1. That which one seeks in attempting a difficult or challenging feat.
2. A very difficult, unlikely or lucky achievement or period of success.
3. Ephemeral state or atmosphere, as at a startup company or artistic group.
4. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see lightning, bottle.

Etymology

Originally (19th century) a literal reference to Benjamin Franklin’s kite experiment, capturing electricity from lightning and storing it in a Leyden jar, along with variants such as bottled lightning. Later used in baseball context in sense “difficult feat”, from circa 1941, attributed to Leo Durocher. Wider use grew in 1980s and 1990s, particularly in sense “great, fleeting success”, and popular since 2000s.