English Idiom – A damp squib.
Something that was supposed to be exciting or impressive, but turned out to be a big disappointment.
It’s Bonfire Night. Dad has bought the biggest firework in the shop. The whole family is out in the garden, wrapped up in coats and wellies, standing under an umbrella. He lights it, runs back, puts his hands over his ears and waits for the big bang. And waits. The firework gives one sad little fizz, a puff of smoke, and goes out. Grandad shakes his head. The dog yawns. Well, that was a damp squib.
Why Squib?
A squib is an old word for a small firework, the kind that fizzes and then goes off with a bang. Gunpowder doesn’t like getting wet, so a damp squib just fizzles and does nothing. People have used the phrase for disappointing events since the 1800s, and it’s still everywhere today, from the pub to newspaper headlines.
Careful: it’s squib, not squid! Lots of people (native speakers included) say “a damp squid”, but there’s no wet sea creature in this idiom.
Why It’s So British
This might be the most British idiom of them all, and the reason is the weather. In Britain, whenever we plan anything outside, the weather has other ideas. The summer barbecue, the village fete, the school sports day, the bank holiday trip to the beach, Bonfire Night: we plan them for weeks, and then it rains. Of course it rains.
So Brits have had plenty of practice standing in a wet field, holding a soggy sausage roll, watching something exciting fizzle out. When we say an event was a damp squib, we usually say it with a sigh and a little smile, because deep down we expected it. Being let down by the weather is practically a national hobby.
A close cousin is a washout: an event ruined by rain. “Sports day was a total washout.” And if the rain really comes down, you might even say it’s raining cats and dogs.
How to Use It
- be a damp squib: “The big match was a damp squib. It finished 0–0.”
- turn out to be a damp squib: “The new series turned out to be a damp squib.”
- a bit of a damp squib (very common, and very British understatement): “The party was a bit of a damp squib.”
- It works for events, launches, plans, films, matches, parties and even people’s big announcements.
The opposite? Something that goes off with a bang: a big, exciting success. Find more firework phrases on our Bonfire Night page.
Example:
- “We waited all year for the fireworks, and then the rain turned them into a damp squib.”
- “The new phone was supposed to change everything, but the launch was a damp squib.”
- “The summer barbecue was a bit of a damp squib. It poured all afternoon.”
- “Everyone expected a thrilling final, but it turned out to be a damp squib.”
More British English: Bonfire Night, 50 British slang words, and keep a stiff upper lip (handy when the fireworks fail). Or browse all our collections.
Learn More
Look it upDamp squib – Cambridge DictionaryCambridge DictionaryWhat is an idiom?
An idiom is a word or phrase that is not taken literally. An idiom is an expression that cannot be understood from the meanings of its individual words, but has a separate meaning of its own.
Frequently Asked Questions
It means something that was expected to be exciting or impressive but turned out to be disappointing, like a firework that only fizzles because it got wet.
It is “damp squib”. A squib is a small firework. “Damp squid” is a very common mistake, even among native speakers.
Because of the weather. Outdoor events in Britain, from barbecues to Bonfire Night, are often ruined by rain, so Brits know all about exciting plans that fizzle out.
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