On May 31, 12:50 pm, Terry wrote:
On Thu, 31 May 2007 11:32:50 -0400, Jeff Wisnia

wrote:

If we take him at his word, and discount the very limited possibility
that the switch could have failed in a way which keeps it "closed"
regardless of its position, then I'd expect it to be far more likely
that there IS a break in the wiring somewhere and that "power" the OP
sees when the switch is OFF is just a capacitively coupled voltage.

If he did have 120V at the fixture the lamp would burn.
.....

If it were a "real" 120V and not the "phantom" voltage, true -- or
there's the possibility of the fixture base not contacting the bulb
base, etc.

It's that indicated voltage but not being from a complete, functioning
circuit that has become the whole (apparently futile) argument of the
subthread...and, since OP has either not come back or at least not
ventured to stick a toe in (and who could blame him at this point?) to
amplify the situation or add additional details or answers to queries,
it's all just speculation...

Only if it can also supply sufficient current to light the filament --
that's the whole argument --