[Loch-Ruadh] word for the day

[Jane Sitton]

Your daily vocabulary lesson:  The Word of the Day for August 30 is:
will-o'-the-wisp * \wil-uh-thuh-WISP\ * (noun) 1 : a light that appears at
night over marshy ground *2 : a misleading or elusive goal or hope
Example sentence:  Though her friends think she's chasing a
will-o'-the-wisp, Alexis is determined to quit her job and follow her dream
of becoming a pop music star.
Did you know?  The will-o'-the-wisp is a flame-like phosphorescence caused
by gases from decaying plants in marshy areas.  In olden days, it was
personified as "Will with the wisp," a sprite who carried a fleeting "wisp"
of light.  Foolish travelers were said to try to follow the light and be led
astray into the marsh.  (An 18th century fairy tale described Will as one
"who bears the wispy fire to trail the swains among the mire.")  The light
was first known, and still also is, as "Ignis Fatuus," which in Latin means
"foolish fire."  Eventually, the name "will-o'-the- wisp" was extended to
any impractical or unattainable goal.
*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.