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damp squib

noun

Definitions

  1. A firework that has been wet and therefore fails to go off correctly.

  2. Anything that does not work properly, or fails to come up to expectations

    Anything that does not work properly, or fails to come up to expectations; a dud.

    • The anonymous oracle, the author of this pamphlet, is an example of entertaining dullness. He has manufactured a very damp squib; he is a serious man in motley; and practical ideas occasionally drop in among his fantastic vaticinations.
    • It sounds very token, another damp squib which will probably end up benefiting more bureaucrats than artists or scientists.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for damp squib. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA