Jack-o'-lantern

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Dr. Goodword
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Jack-o'-lantern

Postby Dr. Goodword » Thu Oct 30, 2014 10:57 pm

• jack-o'-lantern •

Pronunciation: 'jæk-ê-læn-têrn • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Noun

Meaning: 1. A lantern made from a hollowed pumpkin with openings representing eyes, nose, and mouth to make it look like a face—a symbol of Halloween. 2. The light of burning marsh gas.

Notes: No, the symbol of Halloween in North America does not come from an Irishman by the name of Jack O'Lantern, though many a fetching story claims otherwise. It is the reduction of an old phrase, "jack with a lantern," spelled in a peculiar way. It is currently used as a single noun, so the plural is jack-o'-lanterns.

In Play: The custom of putting carved vegetables out on Halloween did, however, originate with Irish Catholics. The Irish once placed carved turnips and rutabagas containing candles in their windows to ward off the dead souls they presumed wandered about on the eve of All Saints Day, originally known as All Hallow Even(ing), today simplified to Hallowe'en or Halloween. The Irish switched to pumpkins when they immigrated to America since turnips and rutabagas were more likely to be served for dinner.

Word History: Jack-with-a-lantern originally meant simply "man with a lantern" (jack, as in the phrase, "every man, jack of them"). It referred to a night watchman. Its later structure, jack-o'-lantern, is analogical with that of will-o'-the-wisp, which originally meant only "a man named Will with a wisp (whiskbroom)". Both will-o'-the-wisp and jack-o'-lantern were later used to refer to what the Romans called ignis fatuus "crazy fire", the pale, mysterious fire from gas that sometimes faintly burns over marshy areas. A will-o'-the-wisp was then taken to be a sprite carrying the wisp of a torch across the swamps. A jack-o'-lantern was assumed to be a man with a lantern engaged in the same activity.
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LukeJavan8
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Re: Jack-o'-lantern

Postby LukeJavan8 » Fri Oct 31, 2014 12:09 pm

Marshes must be mysterious places: marsh gas, eerie lights
and the like.
-----please, draw me a sheep-----

Perry Lassiter
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Re: Jack-o'-lantern

Postby Perry Lassiter » Fri Oct 31, 2014 1:56 pm

They can also be seen rolling on yardarms on ships at night. There they call it St Elmo's fire.
pl

LukeJavan8
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Re: Jack-o'-lantern

Postby LukeJavan8 » Fri Oct 31, 2014 2:16 pm

I've heard that, and there's the movie. I live 1000 miles
from the ocean. We are too busy hunting snipes.
-----please, draw me a sheep-----

hanako
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Re: Jack-o'-lantern

Postby hanako » Fri Oct 31, 2014 2:58 pm

The spelling of Jack-o'-lantern may not be so peculiar. Originally, it would have been Jack of the Lantern, subsequently shortened to Jack o' the Lantern, then through a "glottal stop" it became Jack o' Lantern.

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David McWethy
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Re: Jack-o'-lantern

Postby David McWethy » Fri Nov 07, 2014 12:26 pm

In the Arkansas Ozarks there's plenty of pumpkins around from which Jack-o-lanterns can be made. (Although it's easy to have too many. Of anything).

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LukeJavan8
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Re: Jack-o'-lantern

Postby LukeJavan8 » Fri Nov 07, 2014 12:33 pm

Got to love the faces. Thanks.
-----please, draw me a sheep-----

Philip Hudson
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Re: Jack-o'-lantern

Postby Philip Hudson » Fri Nov 07, 2014 6:52 pm

hanako: Thank you for the three informative posts you have provided since you became part of the Agora. My apologies for not having welcomed you earlier. Post often and with the wisdom you have already shown.
It is dark at night, but the Sun will come up and then we can see.


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