The sefer Halachah Gedolot1 writes that women of his time were accustomed to accept Shabbat the moment they finish kindling their Shabbat lights. Because of this, he writes, they didn’t extinguish the wick with which they kindled their lights. Instead, “they throw the burning wick to the floor [where it will safely burn itself out].”

It was pointed out to me that the Halachah Gedolot mentions a wick, not a wooden taper (or match stick). The difference between the two: When a burning wick is dropped on a flat surface it will continue to burn. Conversely, drop a burning match on to a flat surface and you’ll see that it will stop burning within a few seconds. (This has to do with ventilation; wicks are porous, whereas wood is dense.)

According to this observation, one who lit candles using a match, instead of dropping the match upon a flat surface, should place it down standing diagonally, allowing it to fully burn out.