"fanelights"

[Douglas G. Wilson]

>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?

I speculate this = "fen lights"/"fenlights". "Fen light" = "ignis fatuus" =
"will-o'-the-wisp", I guess.

I suppose this might be an elaboration of the children's interjection
"fen"/"fain", shown in MW3.

-- Doug Wilson


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