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Pedants' corner

bless him!

(59 Posts)
jingl Thu 01-Dec-11 10:45:39

I have just asked DH and son. They both know it is squib!

It's just me!

And Syberia's OH! grin

jingl Thu 01-Dec-11 10:44:31

Yes! It's weird. I know what a squid is too - some sort of fishy thing (I think).

Have vaguely wondered about the logic of the saying! grin

em Thu 01-Dec-11 10:39:07

Yes Jingl you're right and a firework is a squib not a squid. Surely most squids are damp most of the time so what would be the significance of a damp squid anyway? Damp squibs don't 'go off' - hence the anti-climax! That was such a boring explanation - went like a damp squib really.

jingl Thu 01-Dec-11 10:31:24

Well! I always thought it was squid! shock

I think everybody most people do.

(I knew it meant, sort of, a firework that didn't go off because it was damp)

Notsogrand Thu 01-Dec-11 10:25:44

Ooooh....do we have a pop star in our ranks?

syberia Thu 01-Dec-11 10:16:08

I have just checked on t'internet to make sure I am not mistaken, and, yes, it was a lady called Kitty Lester who had a hit with "Love Letters" in the 60s. I knew the name rang a bell!! smile

kittylester Thu 01-Dec-11 09:52:31

Worse than that, Richard Bacon on Radio 5 also thought it was a damp squid and couldn't explain the meaning of the phrase to (Little) Jimmy Osmond. Luckily Peter Thingy was there to explain!

bagitha Thu 01-Dec-11 09:42:27

Aaah. grin

syberia Thu 01-Dec-11 09:38:11

My OH has used the phrase "damp squid" twice this morning while having a political rant, I hadn't the heart to correct him!! smile