"Tom" wrote in message
news:18151497.2221.1331620921082.JavaMail.geo-discussion-forums@vbai14...
On Tuesday, 13 March 2012 01:12:14 UTC, a l l y wrote:
Anyone recognise what I'm talking about here? We always called it
"wildfire," as I was growing up in Scotland, but I can't find any
references
online using that name, and I'd like to know the correct word.


Websters online Dictionary appears to have it From Scots Gaelic:
(roidean), teine-sionnachain (lightning without thunder - "wildfire") but
I can't open the page.

Good luck.

Ooh, that's interesting! Thanks. As a lowlander (from Edinburgh) I never
considered a Gaelic connection. I was beginning to wonder if it was one of
those odd, "family" words, that no-one else apart from one's nearest and
dearest uses. But that sort of legitimises it.

ally