Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. an unsuccessful racehorse; thus adj. squibby.

1900		Sydney Sportsman (Surry Hills, NSW) 31 Oct. 1/3: Omrah, a speedy squib [...] couldn’t beat ordinary saddle-flappers.
1901		W.A. Sun. Times (Perth) 22 Dec. 1/1: The mysterious squib is being stabled and fed at the cost of the [Police] Department.
1907		Sun. Times (Perth) 19 May 4/8: ’E [...] does-ees-brass-in backin’ Geary’s squibs.
1910		Sun. Times (Perth) 23 Jan. 2nd sect. 2/3: It is not often one comes across such an arrant ‘squib’ as Lady Foote [i.e. a racehorse] [which] again cut a very sorry figure when she was produced at the First-Class Plate.
1910		Sun. Times (Perth) 27 Mar. 2nd sect. 10/5: Whilst Fleet is decidedly leggy, Yeast is let down and altogether more compact than his ‘squibby’ sister.
1951		Sun. Times (Perth) 2 Sept. 1s/4: [of a racehorse] Princess Cecilia, who so far in her racing career has proved a squib, showed unexpected stomach yesterday.

2. (Aus.) a swindler.

1908

Sun. Times (Perth) 21 June 4/8: ‘Serves him right for being such a dead flat,’ comments the swell squib.

3. a coward, one who backs down from an undertaking or loses popularity.

1908		Bulletin (Sydney) 13 Aug. 15/2: Fags, upon his release, grasped the milking-stool, and most ungratefully smote the Pagan upon the brow. ‘That’s one f’r y’r guessin’ gear, y’r curry-faced squib,’ he hissed. ‘I’ll teach y’r t’ shove th’ ruddy ruminator on top uv me, y’r stale-fat fakir.’.
1914		Sport (Adelaide) 5 June 4/6: They Say [...] That Pinkey has turned out a real squib.
1924		G.H. Lawson Dict. of Aus. Words And Terms 🌐 SQUIB—A coward.
1934		Sydney Morn. Herald 8 Aug. 13/5: [headline] Famous Airman Call a ‘Squib’. Frightened of Aeroplanes.
1936		‘George Orwell’ Keep The Aspidistra Flying (1962) 17: Very damp squibs, that lot [...] Shall we ever again get a writer worth reading?
1941		G. Casey ‘Short Shift Saturday’ in Mann Coast to Coast 196: So I says to him, ‘money up or shut up’, an’ he shut up, just like the bloody squib he is.
1951		D. Stivens Jimmy Brockett 32: A quid for you if you just wait there and call him a squib for not meeting Hill.
1968		S. Gore Holy Smoke 9: ‘Come on!’ he bawls [...] ‘What’s got into yer? Lotta squibs!’.
1973		J. Waten Bottle-O! 39: ‘Don’t be a squib,’ said Tommy.
1993		Aus. Word Map 🌐 squib. a person who decides for spurious or selfish reasons not to honor an undertaking (to take part).
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. 198: squib A failure, or a cowardly or frail person [...] ANZ early C2.

4. a weakling, a gullible person; a small person.

1909		Sun. Times (Perth) 28 Feb. 4s/7: The punters and the other squibs.
1910		Daily News (Perth) 22 Aug. 4: [headline] Called Him a Squib And Was Knocked Down.
1923		F. Anthony ‘Helping Out Gus’ in Me And Gus (1977) 13: Little squib like you!
1932		Argus (Melbourne) 13 Feb. 25/3: A man had called the constable who arrested him a ‘squib’.
1936		A. Russell Gone Nomad 55: ‘There’s no place in this town for squibs,’ he was told.
1949		R. Park Poor Man’s Orange 212: Want to grow up a squib? Want to be as thin as a stick of celery?
1965		F.J. Hardy Yarns of Billy Borker 19: Biggest squib that ever played, but keen.
1977		E. Torres Q&A 163: A little squib [...] A Mrs. Jean Delaney.
1985		B. Humphries Traveller’s Tool 58: I used to like a chilled ale when I was a young squib in the public service.