will o wisp
Elusive bog glow
A will o' wisp is a flickering light seen over marshes at night, traditionally attributed to supernatural causes but actually produced by gases from decaying matter.
The phenomenon became a metaphor for anything elusive or deceptive that leads one astray: He chased the will o' wisp of easy wealth.
Also spelled will-o'-the-wisp or will-o-wisp.
- ghostApparition of the dead
- marshGrassy waterlogged lowland
- swampWaterlogged land with vegetation
- lanternEnclosed portable light
- flickeringShining unsteadily, intermittently
fog · mist · phantom · fairy · light · bog · marsh gas · ethereal · elusive · haunting · jack-o-lantern · lure · glowing · specter · wandering · deceptive · fey · moonlight
- Scottish Lorekelpie, selkie, brownie, Loch Ness Monster, Nessie
- superstitionblack cat, broken mirror, Friday the 13th, walking under ladder, evil eye
- luminescenceluminescence, fluorescence, phosphorescence, bioluminescence, chemiluminescence
- Southern folklorehaint, conjure, root work, root doctor, root doctors
will o wispterra firma
Solid ground underfoot
solid ground · substance · bedrock · foundation · certainty
will o wispsure thing
Guaranteed outcome or agreement
certainty · bird in the hand · safe bet · done deal · foregone conclusion
will, wills, willed, willing, willingly, willingness, unwilling, unwillingly, wisp