Damp squib?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span>: “<span word="His">His</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="film">film</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="damp">damp</span> <span word="squib">squib</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="box">box</span> <span word="office">office</span>.”</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="film">film</span> <span word="bombed">bombed</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="box">box</span> <span word="office">office</span>, <span word="failing">failing</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="sell">sell</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="tickets">tickets</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="expected">expected</span> <span word="to">to</span>.</p><p><span word="Here">Here</span>, <span word="bombed">bombed</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="flopped">flopped</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="failed">failed</span>, <span word="i">i</span>.<span word="e">e</span>. <span word="it">it</span> <span word="failed">failed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="explode">explode</span> <span word="like">like</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="bomb">bomb</span> <span word="should">should</span>. <span word="Strange">Strange</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="English">English</span> <span word="language">language</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="but">but</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="correct">correct</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="film">film</span> <span word="bombed">bombed</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="box">box</span> <span word="office">office</span>.</p><p><span word="That">That</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="similar">similar</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="saying">saying</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="film">film</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="damp">damp</span> <span word="squib">squib</span>.</p><p><span word="A">A</span> <span word="squib">squib</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="piece">piece</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="firecracker">firecracker</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="dynamite">dynamite</span> <span word="tube">tube</span>. <span word="People">People</span> <span word="who">who</span>’<span word="ve">ve</span> <span word="played">played</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="firecrackers">firecrackers</span> <span word="during">during</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Spring">Spring</span> <span word="Festival">Festival</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="country">country</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="problem">problem</span> <span word="understanding">understanding</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="damp">damp</span> <span word="squib">squib</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="feels">feels</span> <span word="like">like</span>. <span word="That">That</span> <span word="is">is</span>, <span word="instead">instead</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="giving">giving</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="sharp">sharp</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="resounding">resounding</span> <span word="explosion">explosion</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="cracking">cracking</span> <span word="sound">sound</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="matter">matter</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="fact">fact</span> (<span word="which">which</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="why">why</span> <span word="they">they</span>’<span word="re">re</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="firecrackers">firecrackers</span>), <span word="a">a</span> <span word="damp">damp</span> <span word="squib">squib</span> <span word="either">either</span> <span word="fails">fails</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="ignite">ignite</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="lets">lets</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="feeble">feeble</span> <span word="fizz">fizz</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="faint">faint</span> <span word="whisper">whisper</span> <span word="of">of</span> “<span word="purr">purr</span>”.</p><p><span word="This">This</span> <span word="piece">piece</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="failed">failed</span> <span word="firecracker">firecracker</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="dud">dud</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="people">people</span> <span word="call">call</span> <span word="a">a</span> “<span word="damp">damp</span> <span word="squib">squib</span>”, <span word="metaphorically">metaphorically</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="disappointment">disappointment</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="damper">damper</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="hopes">hopes</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="excitement">excitement</span>, <span word="an">an</span> <span word="anticlimax">anticlimax</span>.</p><p><span word="Damp">Damp</span> <span word="squibs">squibs</span> <span word="are">are</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="main">main</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="result">result</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="storage">storage</span> <span word="in">in</span>, <span word="yes">yes</span>, <span word="damp">damp</span> (<span word="wet">wet</span>) <span word="conditions">conditions</span>. <span word="Dynamics">Dynamics</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="traditionally">traditionally</span> <span word="made">made</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="black">black</span> <span word="gun">gun</span> <span word="powder">powder</span>, <span word="consisting">consisting</span> <span word="of">of</span>, <span word="among">among</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="things">things</span>, <span word="charcoal">charcoal</span>. <span word="As">As</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="know">know</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="cannot">cannot</span> <span word="lit">lit</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="fire">fire</span> <span word="if">if</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="charcoal">charcoal</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="wet">wet</span>. <span word="Hence">Hence</span>, <span word="squibs">squibs</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="damp">damp</span> <span word="won">won</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="explode">explode</span>.</p><p><span word="Hence">Hence</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="therefore">therefore</span>, <span word="damp">damp</span> <span word="squibs">squibs</span> <span word="become">become</span> <span word="synonymous">synonymous</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="anything">anything</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="fails">fails</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="work">work</span> <span word="properly">properly</span>, <span word="anything">anything</span> <span word="that">that</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="expectation">expectation</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="anything">anything</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="turns">turns</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="disappointment">disappointment</span> <span word="especially">especially</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="fanfare">fanfare</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="previously">previously</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="raised">raised</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="it">it</span>.</p>
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