# Pinching a lit candle **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 4, 2007, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinching-a-lit-candle/386641 "2007-01-04T03:43:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinching-a-lit-candle/386641/1 "2007-01-04T03:43:29Z")
I’ve seen it done many times over, and its now even shown in the open for “Primetime: Basic Instincts”. How do people snuf out a candle by pinching it with their fingers? is this painful, or is there a trick to it? ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinching-a-lit-candle/386641/2 "2007-01-04T03:44:27Z")
Huh? I do it all the time. yellow flame is not that hot. If you’re afraid, you can lick your fingers and then pinch it, but it’s really no big deal. ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinching-a-lit-candle/386641/3 "2007-01-04T04:41:19Z")
When you grab the little fire-sprite like that, they die pretty quick and don’t burn too bad. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinching-a-lit-candle/386641/4 "2007-01-04T04:44:36Z")
[QUOTE=Meeko] … is there a trick to it? [/QUOTE] The only trick is to do it rather briskly. ---
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinching-a-lit-candle/386641/5 "2007-01-04T05:02:31Z")
I didn’t think it would be that hard, but its the instinctual “Don’t touch fire” that creates havoc with me. ---
**Author:** ![Mesquite-oh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@Mesquite-oh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mesquite-oh)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinching-a-lit-candle/386641/6 "2007-01-04T05:58:16Z")
If you pinch and release it quick, it feels a little warm, but it doesn’t hurt- kinda like quickly touching the edge of a hot pan. If some of the wick or whatever sticks to your finger, it can get hot, but you flick it off quickly. Mesquite-oh: Former (or Ex) Altar Boy ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinching-a-lit-candle/386641/7 "2007-01-04T06:19:15Z")
It helps to aim for the bright end of the candle. ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinching-a-lit-candle/386641/8 "2007-01-04T06:29:01Z")
As the others have noted, just do it quickly. I usually lick my fingers for extra insurance, so to speak. As a bonus, you can also pass your fingers through the flame with no worse effects than a bit of soot on them, so long as you do it fairly quickly (though not necessarily so quickly as you do to snuff the flame out. Experiment a little–you’ll figure it out when your fingers start getting warm. ;)) ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinching-a-lit-candle/386641/9 "2007-01-04T08:21:22Z")
[QUOTE=waterj2] It helps to aim for the bright end of the candle. [/QUOTE] Mine is burning at both ends ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinching-a-lit-candle/386641/10 "2007-01-04T12:34:28Z")
I had the wick break off and stick to my finger once, still burning. That hurt. ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinching-a-lit-candle/386641/11 "2007-01-04T13:33:29Z")
According to Lawrence of Arabia, the trick is not \*minding \* that it hurts. Yes, that was a match. I know, I know. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinching-a-lit-candle/386641/12 "2007-01-04T14:16:15Z")
[QUOTE=Mesquite-oh] If you pinch and release it quick, it feels a little warm, but it doesn’t hurt- kinda like quickly touching the edge of a hot pan. If some of the wick or whatever sticks to your finger, it can get hot, but you flick it off quickly. Mesquite-oh: Former (or Ex) Altar Boy [/QUOTE] altar boy snufing candles with his fingers? oh, the horror! didn’t you have the little bell on a stick to put them out? What is that thing called? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinching-a-lit-candle/386641/13 "2007-01-04T14:19:04Z")
[QUOTE=Sapo] What is that thing called? [/QUOTE] A candle snuffer ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinching-a-lit-candle/386641/14 "2007-01-04T16:37:43Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] A candle snuffer [/QUOTE] [Here’s](http://shop1.church-supplies.com/e/product.asp?sku=659830903281) one with an air bulb! Deluxe! They seem to call the whole contraption a candlelighter since the lighting wick is combined with the snuffer. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinching-a-lit-candle/386641/15 "2007-01-04T16:39:51Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] A candle snuffer [/QUOTE] no cool latinesque name for it? ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinching-a-lit-candle/386641/16 "2007-01-04T17:33:30Z")
_Candelarum fungum demens_? Johanna the Obscure here, never took a class in Latin but trying to teach myself… ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinching-a-lit-candle/386641/17 "2007-01-04T18:57:47Z")
[QUOTE=Sapo] no cool latinesque name for it? [/QUOTE] Fillus alterius withus smokus Pinching the wick does a better job of not producing so much smoke, and it’s faster… and it looks cool to the junior altarservers. (You need all the help you can get looking cool in the alterboy robes). 😃 ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinching-a-lit-candle/386641/18 "2007-01-04T19:11:10Z")
snuffleupagus candleum ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinching-a-lit-candle/386641/19 "2007-01-04T20:37:55Z")
hijack: In searching for the possible Latin name for the snuffleupagus, I came across the [Catholic Montessori Miniature Mass Kit](http://stores.catholicmontessori.com/Categories.bok?category=Miniature+Mass+Kit). Frankly, I’m not sure how I feel about this. ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2007, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinching-a-lit-candle/386641/20 "2007-01-04T22:09:34Z")
[QUOTE=Turek] According to Lawrence of Arabia, the trick is not \*minding \* that it hurts. Yes, that was a match. I know, I know. 🙂 [/QUOTE] And now I suddenly get the reference in _Jingo_. Thank you. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinching-a-lit-candle/386641.md?page=2)