▪ I. squib, n.
(skwɪb)
Forms: 6 squyb(e, sqwybe (skwybe, skuybe, scuibe, skybb), 7 squybb, 6–7 squibb(e (7 sqib, squip), 6– squib.
[Of obscure origin; perh. intended as imitative of an explosive sound.]
1. a. A common species of firework, in which the burning of the composition is usually terminated by a slight explosion.
‘Squibs are straight cylindrical cases about 6 inches long, firmly closed at one end, tightly packed with a strong composition, and capped with touch-paper’ (1886 Encycl. Brit. XX. 136).
| a 1530 Heywood Play of Love 1293 (Stage-dir.), Here the vyse cometh in..with a hye copyn tank on his hed full of squybs fyred. 1551–2 in Feuillerat Revels Edw. VI (1914) 67 One hollowe clubb to burne squibbes in. 1582 N. Lichefield tr. Castanheda's Conq. E. Ind. i. xii. 31 Our men made them a great feast, with much pastime also of Squibs, Gunne shot, and great and lowde cryes. 1623 in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. i. III. 160 Every College had a speech and one dish more at supper, and bonefires and squibbes in their Courts. 1673 Boyle Ess. Effluviums ii. 28 The irregular and wrigling motion of those fired Squibs that Boys are wont to make by ramming Gunpowder into Quills. 1721 Amherst Terræ Fil. No. 22 (1726) I. 124 Several squibs were thrown in at the window, which burnt some of their cloaths. 1774 Ann. Reg. 151 Several people amused themselves with throwing squibs about the gates of the palace. 1808 Beverley Lighting Act 18 Crackers, squibs, serpents, rockets, or other fireworks. 1873 E. Spon Workshop Receipts Ser. i. 139/1 For squibs, before filling the case, ram in hard a thimbleful of coarse gun-powder. |
b. In fig. context. (Cf. sense 3.)
| 1599 Broughton's Lett. 47 Your bookes [are] but squibs, compounds of gunpowder and pisse. 1623 Hexham Tongue-combat 50 [It] sets all Christendome in combustion, with a Romish squib of reseruation. 1644 Quarles Whipper Whipt Wks. (Grosart) I. 164/1 If he cast no squibs in a Princes face,..they say he hath no holy Fire in him. 1753 Richardson Grandison (1781) II. 282, I could then throw my little squibs about me at pleasure; and not fear..the singeing of my own cloaths! a 1771 Smollett Humph. Cl. (1815) 236 He..even threw such squibs at the immortality of the soul, as singed a little the whiskers of Mrs. Tabitha's faith. 1861 Sat. Rev. 30 Nov. 554 A talker of the highest order ought not to encourage the expectation of squibs and crackers as often as he opens his mouth. 1882 A. W. Ward Dickens iii. 68 In 1841 he had thrown a few squibs in the Examiner at Sir Robert Peel and the Tories. |
† c. In fig. allusions to the display of such fireworks on a rope or line. Obs.
| 1647 Cleveland Charac. Lond.-Diurn. (1653) 81 But the Squib is run to the end of the Rope. 1649 G. Daniel Trinarch. To Rdr. 39 Some Squibbs prepareing are, the Ropes are laid To entertaine the Gapers. 1679 Dryden Limberham v. i, Well, the squibs run to the end of the line, and now for the cracker. |
d. fig. or in fig. contexts. damp squib, something that fails ignominiously to satisfy the expectations aroused by it; an anti-climax, a disappointment.
| 1847 Alb. Smith Chr. Tadpole i. (1879) 20 The literary gentleman having finished, like a damp squib with a good bang, resumed his seat. 1963 Times 6 Mar. 11/3 Possibly because too much was expected of it, the long-range study of Britain's transport needs by a Ministry of Transport group under Sir Robert Hall is something of a damp squib. 1976 Yorkshire Even. Press 9 Dec. 8/5, I came here thinking this Scarborough business would cause fireworks, but I have never known such a damp squib. |
2. † a. An explosive device used as a missile or means of attack. Obs.
| 1589 R. Harvey Pl. Perc. (1590) 7 Not to cast them like squibs & wild fire within your owne hatches. 1591 Raleigh Last Fight ‘Revenge’ A 3 b, Their Nauy..consisting of 240 saile of ships..were..driuen with squibs from their anchors. 1598 Florio, Petardo, a squib or petard of gun powder vsed to burst vp gates or doores with. 1610 B. Jonson Alch. iv. iii, He speakes out of a fortification. 'Pray god, he ha' no squibs in those deepe sets. 1686 tr. Chardin's Trav. Persia 3 The Admiral coming to an Anchor, fir'd several Squibs from his Main-Top-Mast. |
b. slang. A gun.
| 1839 G. W. M. Reynolds Pickw. Abroad xxvi. Song, A double-tongued [= double-barrelled] squib to keep in awe The chaps that flout at me. |
c. Mining. (See quots.)
| 1881 Raymond Mining Gloss., Squib, a slow-match or safety-fuse, used with a barrel. 1883 Gresley Gloss. Coal-m. 234 Squib, a straw, rush, paper, or quill tube filled with a priming of gunpowder,..and ignited by means of a smift. |
3. A smart gird or hit; a sharp scoff or sarcasm; a short composition of a satirical and witty character; a lampoon.
| c 1525 in Thoms Anecd. (Camden) 15 Purposing to put a grave slye squibbe upon him, ‘Sir,’ sayes he, ‘this does not well’. 1593 Nashe Four Lett. Conf. Wks. (Grosart) II. 277 Thou must haue one squibbe more at the Deuils Orator,..or thy penne is not in cleane life. 1607 Hieron Defence i. 224 Observe..his squibb at M. B. for saying Austin not S. Austin. 1654 Vilvain Theorem. Theol. iii. 87 'Tis a silly Sophisters squib to say, Bishops are caled Elders, and contrarily. 1739 Pope Let. to Warburton 4 Jan., I see by certain squibs in the Miscellanies, that [etc.]. 1775 Bindley in J. Granger's Lett. (1805) 387 The little squib you sent me I thank you for; I think it lively enough. 1844 Disraeli Coningsby i. ii, No one was more faithful to his early friends.., particularly if they could write a squib. 1882 W. Ballantine Exper. xiii. 127 His tendency to uphold technical views gave rise to a very clever squib. |
4. Applied to persons: a. A mean, insignificant, or paltry fellow; also, a short or thin person.
| 1586 Abp. Loftus in Froude Eng. (1870) XII. 201 note, They are all of them but a sort of beggars and squibbes, puppies, dogs, dunghill churles. 1591 Spenser M. Hubberd 371 Its an hard case, when men of good deseruing Must..be..asked for their pas by euerie squib, That list at will them to reuile or snib. 1599 Nashe Lenten Stuff Wks. (Grosart) V. 288 Out steps me an infant squib of the Innes of Court. a 1653 G. Daniel Idyll i. 39 Away! Squibbs of Scurrilitie; 'twas Shame First taught vs cloths. 1898 Leeds Mercury Suppl. 26 Mar. (E.D.D.), Ah'll knock thee dahn, yo' little squib, if tha doesn't shut thi gob. 1979 Courier-Mail (Brisbane) 28 Apr. 17/2 We have numerous utility expressions for people such as..sparrow squib, nugget and streak, for men of varying sizes. |
† b. A subordinate decoy in a gambling-house.
| 1731 Gentl. Mag. I. 25 A Squib is a Puff of a lower Rank, who serves at half salary. |
c. A firer or thrower of squibs. rare—1.
| 1759 H. Walpole Lett. (1846) III. 471 Every squib in town got drunk, and rioted about the streets till morning. |
d. Oxford slang. erron. for squil.
| 1866 St. James's Mag. Oct. 366 The simple seeming ‘squib’ was..a phrase used..by the privileged Christ Church man to designate any member of the university not a member of the..House. Ibid. 367 The supercilious soubriquet of ‘squib’ is practically extinct. |
e. A horse lacking courage or endurance; hence, a coward. Austral. slang.
| 1908 [see monty]. 1924 Truth (Sydney) 27 Apr. 6 Squib, a coward. 1933 Bulletin (Sydney) 15 Nov. 8/4 In the result stayers reproducing the old-time qualities of the Australian thoroughbred became rare; but speedy squibs abounded. 1936 A. Russell Gone Nomad 55 There's no place in this town for squibs. 1947 Coast to Coast 1946 217 ‘You're a bloody lot of squibs,’ said Darky disgustedly. 1951 F. Hardy Power without Glory 160, I know these johnnys; they're all squibs. 1978 Telegraph (Brisbane) 8 Feb. 20/1 Don Ash is the sort of bloke who makes you feel a squib for crying off with some minor ache or pain from that daily canter around the block. |
5. A squirt or syringe. Now dial.
| 1583 Stubbes Anat. Abus. ii. (1882) 36 A squirt, or a squibbe, which little children vsed to squirt out water withall. 1854– in dial. glossaries (Nhp., Leics., Worc., Kent, Glouc., Warw.). |
† 6. (See first quot.) Obs.
| 1611 Cotgr., Petereau, a little fart, or Squib. 1653 Urquhart Rabelais i. xxv, Often-times thinking to let a squib, they did all-to-besquatter..themselves. |
7. a. A small measure or quantity (of strong drink). Now dial.
| 1766 T. Amory Buncle (1770) III. 208 He got me a good supper of trouts, fine ale, and a squib of punch. 1805 in Spirit Public Jrnls. IX. 312 We raised our spirits with a snack of the bacon, and a squib of gin each. 1844 W. H. Maxwell Wand. Highl. iii. (1855) 52 You..rode your..match without a squib. 1869– in dial. glossaries, etc. (Lancs., Yks., Westm.). |
b. slang. A head of asparagus.
| 1851 Mayhew Lond. Lab. I. 93/1, I buy all mine at Covent-garden, where it's sold in bundles,..containing from six to ten dozen squibs (heads). |
c. colloq. A kind of sweet made up in a form resembling a squib.
| 1851 Mayhew Lond. Lab. I. 203/2 ‘Hardbake’, ‘almond toffy’, ‘half-penny lollipops’, ‘black balls’, the cheaper ‘bulls eyes’, and ‘squibs’ are all made of treacle. |
d. slang. (See quot.)
| 1865 Slang Dict. 244 Squibs, paint-brushes. |
8. attrib. and Comb., as (in sense 1) squib-crack(er, squib-light, squib-maker, squib-powder; (in sense 3) squib-teller, squib-writer; † squib-pear (see quots. 1664–76).
| c 1610 Beaum. & Fl. Philaster ii, They talk of Jupiter, he's but a squib cracker to her. 1630 J. Taylor (Water P.) Laugh and be Fat Wks. i. 70 With squib-crack lightning, empty hogshead thundring, To maze the world with terror & with wondring. 1647 (title), A Fresh Whip for all scandalous Lyers; or, a true Description of the two eminent Pamphliteers, or Squib-tellers of this Kingdome. 1659 England's Conf. 16 Hab. Morley Squib-maker. 1664 Evelyn Kal. Hort. 80 Fruits in Prime, and yet lasting... The Squib-pear, Spindle-pear, Virgin. 1676 Worlidge Cyder (1691) 216 Dead mans pear, Bell-pear, the Squib-pear,..are all very good winter pears. 1837 W. B. Adams Carriages ii. 47 Their own poet Taylor..now and then assisted by a stray pamphleteer or squib-writer. 1893 Westm. Gaz. 7 Nov. 3/2 A sort of Lord Mayor's Show by torchlight and squib-light. |
▸ N. Amer. Sport (esp. Amer. Football and Baseball). A hit, kick, or throw which travels only a short distance, esp. as a result of being mis-struck.
| 1929 N.Y. Times 13 Mar. 35/1 Ruppert's Rifles shot squibs for nine innings and owed their victory to Tony Lazzeri's unassisted portrayal of a world's championship ball player. 1932 Baseball Mag. Oct. 496 ‘Number Three’ can be almost anything, screw-ball, fork-ball, knuckle-ball, slop-ball, squib, dipsy-dew. 1955 Sun (Baltimore) 10 Jan. 16/6 The other suggestions from the coaches were that a higher tee..be permitted to discourage ‘squibs’ or short kickoffs. 1976 Casper (Wyoming) Star-Tribune 29 June 13/1 If he slipped, fell; if the kick were a squib kick, hard to pick up, or over his head—well, tough. 1999 Los Angeles Times (Electronic ed.) 24 Oct. On the ensuing kickoff, Justin Krueger's squib kick hit Santa Ana's Joseph Wall in the foot. |
▪ II. squib, v.
(skwɪb)
Also 7 squibb(e.
[f. the n.]
I. intr.
1. To use smart or sarcastic language; to utter, write, or publish a squib or squibs. Freq. const. against, at, on, upon.
| 1579–80 G. Harvey Lett. Wks. (Grosart) I. 80 For squibbing and declayming against many fruitlesse Artes, and Craftes. 1607 Hieron Defence i. 224 Why is M, B, squibbed at, who observeth that course? 1682 Bunyan Greatness Soul Wks. 1855 I. 138 It is a sport now to taunt and squib and deride at other men's virtues. 1718 Entertainer No. 40. 276 He has a deal of reason to be perpetually a squibbing upon the Romish Clergy. 1797 Wolcot (P. Pindar) Ode Sir J. Banks Wks. 1812 III. 454 What a joke! ye certainly are squibbing. 1825 New Monthly Mag. XVI. 312 Now artists and actors the bardling engage To squib in the journals, and write for the stage. 1852 W. Jerdan Autobiog. II. iii. 26, I argued, and fought, and squibbed, and abused, with the hottest of my contemporaries. |
2. a. To let off squibs; to go on doing this.
In the quot. a stage-direction for thunder.
| 1691 J. Wilson Belphegor i. i, I'd make him know, I fill my Orb my self...—Squib on—and say [etc.]. |
b. To fire a gun, etc.; to shoot. Also fig.
| 1831 Lincoln Herald 22 July 4/4 To go squibbing about with their guns, and putting in jeopardy the lives of his majesty's subjects. 1839 G. W. M. Reynolds Pickw. Abroad xxvi. Song, And if the swells resist our ‘Stand!’ We'll squib without a joke. |
3. a. To move about like a squib.
| 1760–2 Goldsm. Cit. W. lxxxviii, A battered unmarried beau, who squibs about from place to place. 1886 S.W. Linc. Gloss. 140 Mary Ann does squib about; she nips about when she is playing. |
b. With on: to betray or let down (someone). Also without const., to funk, to behave in a cowardly manner; to wriggle or squirm. Austral. slang.
| 1938 S. J. Baker in Observer 13 Nov. 11/3 Rat on = to betray, let down. Squib on = ditto. 1941 ― Dict. Austral. Slang 71 Squib, to, to funk, to be afraid of something. 1945 Coast to Coast 1944 5 I'll let him through; it's better to squib than to wreck old Dutch and myself, too. 1947 K. Tennant Lost Haven xvii. 292 You'll probably squib out of it at the last moment. 1962 Coast to Coast 1961–62 83 He could finish on a good wicket in anything. And never squib on a bloke. |
4. To make a report like that of a squib.
| 1886 Kipling Departm. Ditties, etc. (1899) 83 A Snider squibbed in the jungle. |
II. trans.
5. a. To cast or throw forth, off, out (a remark, quip, etc.) after the manner of a squib.
| 1596 Nashe Saffron Walden Wks. (Grosart) III. 184 Anie Frezeland, Dutch, or Almain scribe..that hath but squibd foorth a Latin Puerilis in Print. 1602 Dekker Satirom. Wks. 1873 I. 235, I could make thine eares burne now that thou wouldst never squib out any new Salt-peter jestes against honest Tucca. 1649 G. Daniel Trinarch., Rich. II, cccxli, The Arch-Bishop still Flirting Divinitie against the Throne,..Squibs the Worne moralls, Hope and Patience. 1853 W. Jerdan Autobiog. IV. xiii. 237 Hook squibbed off a few pleasantries. |
b. To let off (a squib); to fire (a gun, etc.), esp. with the priming or powder only; † to shoot (an arrow).
| 1603 Sir C. Heydon Def. Jud. Astrol. ii. 22 A child squibbes his arrows at random into the aire. 1811 Spirit Public Jrnls. XVI. 5 Squibbed our guns over the bridge. 1829 W. H. Maxwell Stories Waterloo, F. Kennedy 223 The customary bows were formally interchanged between the respective belligerents,..pistols squibbed, loaded, and delivered to the principals. 1892 B. Hinton Lord's Return 194, I shall have all the squibs squibbed if I don't go. |
† c. fig. To throw in as a squib. Obs.—1
| 1655 Fuller Hist. Camb. 14 When Matthew Parker..reports, how many deserting Oxford removed to Cambridge, he [Twine] squibs in this Parenthesis. |
6. To assail or attack (a person) with squibs or witty sarcasm; to lampoon or satirize smartly.
| 1631 May tr. Barclay's Mirr. Minds ii. 20 They..are squibbed with iests and taunts, which like little darts, are in daily discourse throwne against them. 1758 J. Adams Diary 29 Dec. Wks. 1850 II. 53 Lambert will laugh, no doubt, and will tell the story to every man he sees, and will squib me about it whenever he sees me. 1830 Examiner 2/1 He suffered himself to be squibbed to death. 1868 Green Lett. (1901) II. 202 The mendicant parson, whom I am so fond of squibbing. 1880 Disraeli Endym. xxxiii, There is a cabinet minister;..I have been squibbing him for these two years. |
7. To spatter with a squib or squirt.
| 1840 Barham Ingol. Leg. Ser. ii. Nurs. Rem. vi, Billy Hawkins..with his pewter squirt Squibb'd my pantaloons and stockings Till they were all over dirt. |
8. To avoid (a difficulty or responsibility); to funk, to shirk through fear or cowardice. Austral. slang.
| 1934 Bulletin (Sydney) 1 Aug. 46/4 He judges the dodger's done just what he'd do himself; squibbed it and dropped his load. 1936 F. Clune Roaming round Darling xv. 138 Oxley and Evans attempted to explore the Macquarie, but floundering about the marshes Oxley squibbed the job once more. 1940 N. Monks Squadrons Up i. 26 The censor..said that we should not let the enemy Command know their fighters were squibbing it [sc. avoiding combat]. 1955 D. Niland Shiralee 50 The rough-and-tumble doesn't worry me. I'm not squibbing the issue. |
▸ N. Amer. Sport (esp. Amer. Football and Baseball). trans. To throw, kick, or hit (the ball) so that it travels only a short distance, esp. unintentionally. Also intr. (of a ball, etc., or the throw, etc.) to travel only a short distance.
| 1966 N.Y. Times 4 Jan. 23/3 The ball was wet and it squibbed on me just as I threw it... I knew it would fall short. 1979 Washington Post 23 Jan. d3/2 When Roy Gerela slipped on the next kickoff, he squibbed the ball to the Cowboys' Randy White, a defensive lineman. 1982 Twilight Zone Mag. June 28/2 The ball squibbed off his bat along the ground toward Gammill, who followed its course a moment or two before he observed that Pless had fallen. 1993 Los Angeles Times (Electronic ed.) 12 May The Kings regained the lead again when Robitaille's shot squibbed off Vancouver defenseman Doug Lidster's skate past a stunned McLean. 2002 Sporting News 16 Sept. 31/2 He squibbed the kick and had to make the tackle himself. |