The match today was a damp squib
He couldn’t see the game as he was involved in a serious accident yesterday near the park
What is the origin of the expression ‘damp squib’? (M. Nitya, Pune)
First, let’s begin by dealing with the pronunciation of ‘squib’. The ‘squ’ sounds like the ‘squ’ in ‘square’, ‘squint’, and ‘squeak’; the final ‘ib’ is like the ‘ib’ in ‘nib’, ‘bib’ and ‘crib’. The word is pronounced ‘SKWIB’. Cricket enthusiasts in our country were excited when they came to know that India would be playing Pakistan in the 2023 World Cup. Everyone was talking about the match, and quite a few people spent a lot of money to be present at the stadium in Ahmedabad. The expectation was that it would be an exciting match; one that would have everyone sitting on the edge of their seat. Unfortunately, the match turned out to be rather one sided. India walked all over their opponent; the match turned out to be a damp squib. When you say that an event was a ‘damp squib’, what you are suggesting is that it was a disappointment; it did not turn out to be as exciting as you had expected it to be. You feel let down, for it failed to meet your expectations.
The bandh turned out to be a damp squib — shops remained open all day.
The word ‘squib’ began to be used in the 1500s to refer to a firecracker. We know from our recent experience of celebrating Deepavali, a ‘damp’ or a ‘wet’ firecracker does not generally go off — and even if it does, the explosion is rather muted. When this happens, there is a sense of allround disappointment.
What is the difference between a ‘serious accident’ and a ‘fatal accident’? (V. Yogesh, Chennai)
These two words are sometimes used interchangeably by journalists; it is, however, wrong to do so, for they have very different meanings. Given a choice, most people would prefer to be involved in a ‘serious’ accident, rather than a ‘fatal’ one. A serious accident is one in which people experience major injuries; it could also result in the loss of a limb or two. The injured usually end up staying in the hospital for several weeks. The use of the word ‘serious’ suggests that the individual survived the accident; although badly injured, he pulls through — in other words, he manages to come out of it alive. This, however, is not the case with a person involved in a ‘fatal’ accident. In this case, the person does not survive; he dies in the accident. There is a tendency among journalists to write, ‘The man was discharged from hospital ten days after surviving a fatal accident.’ The sentence would be okay if the journalist had written ‘…surviving a nearfatal accident’. Fatal, on its own, suggests death. The people who die in such accidents are sometimes referred to as ‘fatalities’.
The bus transporting the children was involved in a serious accident.
upendrankye@gmail.com