# 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:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinching-a-lit-candle/386641/21 "2007-01-05T00:02:09Z")
[QUOTE=gigi] 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. [/QUOTE] :eek: ---
**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 5, 2007, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinching-a-lit-candle/386641/22 "2007-01-05T00:18:31Z")
[QUOTE=JSexton] And now I suddenly get the reference in _Jingo_. Thank you. [/QUOTE] Damn, now _I_ don’t know what _you’re_ talking about. Dish. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinching-a-lit-candle/386641/23 "2007-01-05T00:19:58Z")
[QUOTE=Turek] Damn, now _I_ don’t know what _you’re_ talking about. Dish. 🙂 [/QUOTE] Jingo - the Terry Pratchett novel. ---
**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 5, 2007, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinching-a-lit-candle/386641/24 "2007-01-05T01:06:40Z")
[QUOTE=butler1850] Fillus alterius withus smokus [/QUOTE] Latin was requested, not Hogwartese. ---
**Author:** ![jasonh300](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/46a35a/32.png) [@jasonh300](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasonh300)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2007, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinching-a-lit-candle/386641/25 "2007-01-09T02:41:24Z")
[QUOTE=gigi] 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. [/QUOTE] I remember a kid I went to school with (who was an altar boy) had one of these and brought it for show and tell during religion class. ---
**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 9, 2007, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinching-a-lit-candle/386641/26 "2007-01-09T07:32:21Z")
[QUOTE=Sapo] 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? [/QUOTE] Snuffers are for sinners. Besides, when you use them, you have to press down on the candle and the brass candle toppers, making wax spill down the side. Who wants a crappy looking Advent candle? ---
**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 9, 2007, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinching-a-lit-candle/386641/27 "2007-01-09T07:41:04Z")
[QUOTE=butler1850] 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). 😃 [/QUOTE] You don’t need to work to look cool in front of the Junior Altar Servers once you’ve been Made- you OWN those little bastards and have to the right to put them through a rigorous hazing process: making them chug sacramental wine and/or Holy Water, making them recite the books of the Old and New Testament in order or else you lock them in the women’s restroom, forcing them to serve the 6:30am Spanish Mass that absolutely NO good looking girls attend… Ahhh, good times. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2007, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinching-a-lit-candle/386641/28 "2007-01-09T07:42:44Z")
I believe the idea is that, while the wick is quite _hot_, it doesn’t hold much _heat_ (notice that no one tries to heat their home with candles), and so a brief contact with it won’t transfer enough thermal energy to the snuffer’s skin to do any damage. I’ve done it countless times; it looks cool, and doesn’t hurt a bit. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2007, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinching-a-lit-candle/386641/29 "2007-01-09T07:53:18Z")
[QUOTE=Mesquite-oh] Snuffers are for sinners. Besides, when you use them, you have to press down on the candle and the brass candle toppers, making wax spill down the side. Who wants a crappy looking Advent candle? [/QUOTE] You’re not supposed to squish the flame out with a snuffer. Simply holding the snuffer over the wick for a few seconds will make the flame use all the oxygen in the bell and go out with no wax spillage. Why doesn’t more oxygen rush in the open bottom? Stop asking silly questions and go clean the chalice, boy! 😛 But what do I know? I only light kelvar wicks on the ends of chains on fire and spin 'em around my head for fun. First rule of spinning fire poi: Do not stop spinning until the flame is out! Second rule? Fire doesn’t hurt if it hits you fast. (Third rule? If you learn drunk, only spin drunk. [State-dependent learning.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State-dependent_learning)) ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2007, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinching-a-lit-candle/386641/30 "2007-01-09T10:19:17Z")
[QUOTE=Johanna] Latin was requested, not Hogwartese. [/QUOTE] Quite right - it wouldn’t be “smokus” as the sentence construction calls for the ablative case. Also the verb should have either the infinitive ending or the imperative, depending on whether you’re reciting the generic phrase or actually issuing the order. “With” is _cum_. You know how this ends: with an instruction to write the correct phrase out a hundred times, and if it isn’t done by sunrise… (hey, _The Life of Brian_ was on over the holidays. 😃 ) ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2007, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinching-a-lit-candle/386641/31 "2007-01-09T12:16:11Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] Mine is burning at both ends [/QUOTE] It will not last the night. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2007, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinching-a-lit-candle/386641/32 "2007-01-09T13:34:02Z")
[QUOTE=LouisB] It will not last the night. [/QUOTE] Bet it makes a lovely light, though! ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2007, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinching-a-lit-candle/386641/33 "2007-01-09T13:42:58Z")
[QUOTE=Mesquite-oh] Snuffers are for sinners. Besides, when you use them, you have to press down on the candle and the brass candle toppers, making wax spill down the side. Who wants a crappy looking Advent candle? [/QUOTE] What about the Advent candles with the [brass followers](http://www.zieglers.com/candle_followers_and_burners.html) around the top: holds in the oxygen and prevents any spills. ---
**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 9, 2007, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinching-a-lit-candle/386641/34 "2007-01-09T15:47:25Z")
[QUOTE=Malacandra] “With” is _cum_. [/QUOTE] Ooh talk dirty “with” me baby. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2007, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinching-a-lit-candle/386641/35 "2007-01-09T16:24:00Z")
[QUOTE=Johanna] Ooh talk dirty “with” me baby. [/QUOTE] If you’re inviting me to conjugate… I decline. 😃 ---
**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 9, 2007, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinching-a-lit-candle/386641/36 "2007-01-09T17:10:19Z")
Now that is clever. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pinching-a-lit-candle/386641.md?page=1)