# Fairies with flashlights? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [May 17, 2026, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fairies-with-flashlights/1030158 "2026-05-17T20:56:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fairies-with-flashlights/1030158/1 "2026-05-17T20:56:14Z")
What’s that you say? Picture this…middle of the night something aroused me (ok, get it out of the gutter, I mean I woke up). I opened the eye. No muggers or monsters. Just a cat shifting around in his bed. But I see a tiny light. Y’all know I’m OCD about some things. Little tiny lights are just on everything. Dishwasher saying the load is clean, washer saying get this in the dryer. Dryer saying unload me. Coffee maker, Microwave, anything you’re charging. Little tiny lights. Some red, some orange. Nice blue on the computer. 100s. In this house. I’ve made a thread about it before, I believe. But this is different. I look and see a flickering light just under the edge of my dresser. I watch for a minute. I think I might’ve dozed awhile. When I opened my eyes it was gone. Oh…there it is. It moved down about 2 ft. What?! Electronics don’t walk around. Dang. I gotta investigate this. I look for the tiny red light on my bedside flashlight always plugged to the charger. See the light from the clock. Press the time button, I know where is, by…you guessed it; a tiny light. It’s 3:11am. Got my flashlight. I kneel down and there’s no tiny light. Where’d it go? Oh. It’s now on the side of the chest, I saw it move. WTH? I saw the flickering yellow. I flipped on my flashlight and honest to God, wings were flapping making a big shadow on the wall. I sat back on my butt, a bit concerned it was that mythical winged lizard man come to bite me. (Hey, I seen it on the TV, the CTers were very convincing). Jumped up and turned on the lights and it was teeny wing-ed glowing fairy. My new BFF! ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fairies-with-flashlights/1030158/2 "2026-05-17T21:35:16Z")
Don’t worry, Beck.[Sir Arthur Conan Doyle](https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=doyle%20fairies&view=detailv2&idpbck=1&id=OSK.5367f8fe4c30142a9e5f2ba95a6ee410&cbn=KnowledgeCard&cbid=OSK.5367f8fe4c30142a9e5f2ba95a6ee410&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2fupload.wikimedia.org%2fwikipedia%2fen%2f7%2f71%2fCottingley_Fairies_1.jpg&thid=OSK.5367f8fe4c30142a9e5f2ba95a6ee410&form=IARRTH&ajaxhist=0&ajaxserp=0) was also taken in. Now, if they begin asking you for money, post on the 'Dope. We are here for you. -Carnie. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fairies-with-flashlights/1030158/3 "2026-05-17T21:36:49Z")
You mean lightning bug? Or fire fly? Or glow worm? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2026, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fairies-with-flashlights/1030158/4 "2026-05-17T21:53:03Z")
I know one name…Lightnin’ bug. We don’t got no steekin’ glow worms. 😀🐛 B.F.F. Beck’s fairy w/flashlight. 🤣 ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2026, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fairies-with-flashlights/1030158/5 "2026-05-18T01:12:59Z")
According to [my poll](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/polls-only-no-discussion/953642/6684), more than half of Dopers call them fireflies and less than 20% call them lightning bugs. Personally, I’m in the lightning bug camp. A firefly is a type of spaceship. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2026, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fairies-with-flashlights/1030158/6 "2026-05-18T01:27:17Z")
I desperately wanting to know what a glo-worm is. But I’m afraid to Google it. 😱 ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2026, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fairies-with-flashlights/1030158/7 "2026-05-18T01:33:10Z")
Was it wearing boots? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2026, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fairies-with-flashlights/1030158/8 "2026-05-18T01:44:11Z")
Yeah, little fuzzy 👠 high heels. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2026, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fairies-with-flashlights/1030158/9 "2026-05-18T01:53:42Z")
[Fairies Wear Boots](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YACjo8j56A4) ---
**Author:** ![markn\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@markn\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markn_1)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2026, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fairies-with-flashlights/1030158/10 "2026-05-18T02:56:48Z")
Glow worms are the wingless larvae of lightning bugs. They glow when they are larvae as well as adults. Some other insects glow as larvae but not as adults; these can also be called glow worms. Most of them are not particularly creepy looking, as insects go. They’re also these things, which are only slightly creepy: [![](https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/192e4383-1f18-4453-8e60-f8b8aca37ade.06a7b092ebb5f8efe34871b9a3fb5d83.jpeg?odnHeight=573&odnWidth=573&odnBg=FFFFFF) ](https://i5.walmartimages.com/asr/192e4383-1f18-4453-8e60-f8b8aca37ade.06a7b092ebb5f8efe34871b9a3fb5d83.jpeg?odnHeight=573&odnWidth=573&odnBg=FFFFFF) ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2026, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fairies-with-flashlights/1030158/11 "2026-05-18T03:40:52Z")
They’ve changed a lot. I still have mine from when I was a toddler, way back in the 1980s. I remember that the batteries in it lasted an insanely long time. I found it after almost or over two decades, and it would still glow. I genuinely didn’t know batteries could last that long, even when not used. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2026, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fairies-with-flashlights/1030158/12 "2026-05-18T03:54:53Z")
Aaaaaaaccckkkk. I’ll have nightmares instead of fairies with flashlights. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2026, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fairies-with-flashlights/1030158/13 "2026-05-18T12:07:15Z")
Shine little glow-worm, glimmer, glimmer Hey, there don’t get dimmer, dimmer Light the path below, above And lead us on to love! The Mills Brothers (1959) ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2026, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fairies-with-flashlights/1030158/14 "2026-05-18T15:47:43Z")
Aww. Sweet sentiment. 😊 I didn’t know you cared so much. 🤣 ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2026, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fairies-with-flashlights/1030158/15 "2026-05-18T15:59:10Z")
> [@markn\_1](#): > > A firefly is a type of spaceship Named after what exactly? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2026, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fairies-with-flashlights/1030158/16 "2026-05-18T16:05:12Z")
Somehow I knew aliens where coming into this. “No, I just work in Outer space”… Kirk ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2026, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fairies-with-flashlights/1030158/17 "2026-05-18T16:27:44Z")
My favorite glow worm: ![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Hhh1_d7Nhb8/maxresdefault.jpg)https://www.youtube.com/embed/Hhh1_d7Nhb8?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&list=RDHhh1_d7Nhb8 Or the Mills Brothers’ version, if you want a straight performance. ![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/fi9XFSKMaVQ/maxresdefault.jpg)https://www.youtube.com/embed/fi9XFSKMaVQ?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque&list=RDfi9XFSKMaVQ > **[The Glow-Worm](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Glow-Worm)** > > "Das Glühwürmchen", known in English as "The Glow-Worm", is a song from Paul Lincke's 1902 operetta Lysistrata, with German lyrics by Heinz Bolten-Backers. In the operetta, it is performed as a trio with three female solo voices singing alternately and the women's chorus joining in the refrain. Rhythmically, it is in the form of a gavotte. The song, with its familiar chorus, was translated into English and became an American popular song. > It was originally translated into English by Lilla Cayley... ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2026, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fairies-with-flashlights/1030158/18 "2026-05-18T16:42:54Z")
“I can’t take the way he sings, but I love to hear him talk…” _Cripple creek._ ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2026, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fairies-with-flashlights/1030158/19 "2026-05-18T16:48:59Z")
Named after Bob. Bob Firefly. What? ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2026, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fairies-with-flashlights/1030158/20 "2026-05-18T17:21:01Z")
You crack me up @Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor Bob’s your uncle. 🤣