Where does “damp squid” come from?
damp squid (English) comes from English squid, from English quick, from Middle English quik, from Old English cwic, from Proto-West Germanic *kwiku, from Proto-Germanic kwikwaz, from Proto-Indo-European gʷih₃wós, from Proto-Indo-European gʷeih₃w- — to live.
damp squid (English): malapropism of damp squib
Definitions
- malapropism of damp squib
Ancestry of “damp squid”, step by step
damp squid traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via English squid
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | squid | Any of several carnivorous marine cephalopod... |
| 2 | English | quick | Moving with speed, rapidity or swiftness, or... |
| 3 | Middle English | quik | living, alive, active; active, alert; vibrant,... |
| 4 | Old English | cwic | living, live, alive; mentally agile; intelligent,... |
| 5 | Proto-West Germanic | *kwiku | alive |
| 6 | Proto-Germanic | kwikwaz | alive; lively, quick |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷih₃wós | alive, living |
| 8 | Proto-Indo-European | gʷeih₃w- | to live |
via English squib
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | English | squib | A small firework that is intended to spew sparks... |