damp squib

Definition

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

Example Sentences

• "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."
• "Arsène Wenger confessed: "The result was not an accurate indication of the match." Certainly, at half-time it seemed unlikely that Arsenal would catch fire so spectacularly because the first half was a damp squib of a display from Wenger's team, as Newcastle initially showed no ill-effects from their Old Trafford ordeal."