A Will-o'-Wisp. A wad is a wisp, and John or Jack is a name
for any inferior person unknown. (See Jack.)
More on John in the Wad from Infoplease:
- John in the Wad - John in the Wad A Will-o'-Wisp. A wad is a wisp, and John or Jack is a name for any inferior ...
- Dictionary of Phrase and Fable: J - Definitions, origins, and illustrative excerpts for words, phases, and literary allusions starting with "J"
See a map of "" in the Visual Thesaurus