"fanelights"

[Michael Quinion]

Lynne Murphy wrote

> I'm doing a bit of research on the "jinx" ritual, where people race to
> say "jinx" after speaking simultaneously.  My (English) partner says
> that on his playground kids said "jinx and fanelights"--except that we
> have no idea how to spell "fanelights".  A few attempts on google have
> been fruitless. Does anyone know this word?

Often written as "fainites" in reference works, though said in many
different ways. See http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-fai1.htm, a very
brief piece that gives the essential information that it derives from
"fain I", or "fain it". See also OED2 under "fain" v2.


--
Michael Quinion
Editor, World Wide Words
E-mail: wordseditor at worldwidewords.org
Web: http://www.worldwidewords.org

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