David Brooks Falls Victim to the Damp Squid

Um, that would be "damp squib," Mr. Brooks: "The Big Society started in part as a political gadget, as a way to distinguish the current Conservatives from the more individualistic ethos of the Thatcher years. It has turned out to be something of a damp squid politically."

Clay Waters

May 20, 2011 - 11:26am

Times columnist David Brooks, considered by his Times colleagues as a Republican that Obama can do business with [1], has the persona of a sophisticate who may well admire the cut of the president's jib [2](whatever that means).

But Brooks (or his copy editor) fell victim to the dreaded "damp squid [3]" in his Friday column "The Big Society [4]." The correct phrase is "damp squib," a Britishism for an event that fails to meet expectations.

The Big Society started in part as a political gadget, as a way to distinguish the current Conservatives from the more individualistic ethos of the Thatcher years. It has turned out to be something of a damp squid politically. Most voters have no idea what the phrase "Big Society" means. But, substantively, the legislative package has been a success. The British government is undergoing a fundamental transformation.

A squib is a small explosive device; a damp one would fail to perform. Squids are already damp, rendering any reference to their dampness redundant. The Times also used "damp squid" back in 1999, but a Nexis search indicates the paper has employed it correctly on 13 occasions.

You can follow Times Watch on Twitter [5].