Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. an emotional outburst, a state of intense excitement.

1601		Jonson Cynthia’s Revels IV i: ana.: I shall garter my hose with your guts, and that shall be your all. mer.: ’Slid, what rare fireworks be here?
1682		Dryden Absalom and Achitophel II 383: In fireworks give him leave to vent his spite; Those are the only serpents he can write.
1889–90		Barrère & Leland Dict. of Sl., Jargon and Cant I 363/2: Fireworks (tailors), a great disturbance, a state of intense excitement.
1908		‘O. Henry’ ‘One Thousand Dollars’ Voice of the City (1915) 75: If it had been ten thousand a fellow might wind up with a lot of fireworks and do himself credit.
1913		J. London Valley of the Moon (1914) 31: Ain’t Frisco sore? Watch out for fireworks now.
1917		A.G. Empey Over the Top 123: Now for the fireworks, and I know they’ll be good and plenty.
1929		E. Dahlberg Bottom Dogs 75: When he whipped out of his jacket pocket his de luxe note book, a sure enough dictionary of wicked words, a string of earthy words that had the bible going, he gave the other guy fireworks.
1937		J. Curtis There Ain’t No Justice 262: That’s what the public likes, just what they likes. Plenty of fireworks.
1946		S. Jackson Indiscreet Guide to Soho 83: The proprietor [...] lacks Pepe’s fireworks but he is eager to please.
1959		D. Niland Big Smoke 146: So round he comes and turns on the fireworks.
1963		M. Spillane Return of the Hood 7: There wouldn’t be any fireworks or tough talk no matter how big the beef was.
1985		E. Bunting Face at the Edge of the World 89: ‘There’ll be fireworks when the newspeople get hold of this,’ he said.

2. (US) guns.

1853		‘Philip Paxton’ A Stray Yankee in Texas 128: The old woman said Charley didn’t take his fire-works.
1940		S. Sterling ‘Ten Carats of Lead’ in Black Mask Stories (2010) 223/1: Where was you when the fireworks went off?
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn).

3. (US) matches.

1873

J. Mair Hbk of Phrases 104: Fireworks, lucifer matches.

4. (US Und.) gunplay, shooting; in the context of war, a bombing raid.

1917		C. Charles q. in Rockwell American Fighters in the Foreign Legion 262: The Boches certainly saw some fireworks! [...]. Those who say that all the French soldiers are tired and fed up should have seen the boys to the left of us. [...] They don’t receive the Boches with any of that ‘kamarade’ stuff, but with all the fireworks on hand.
1927		‘Jargon of the Und.’ in DN V 446: Fireworks, Gun-play.
1932		‘Paul Cain’ ‘Black’ in Omnibus (2006) 221: There’ll be some swell fireworks out there [...] There’s a sub-machine-gun on every truck.
1937		W.M. Raine Cool Customer 158: Well, I’m not really expecting any fireworks tonight.
1944		C. Fluck ‘Bubbles’ of the Old Kent Road 28: ‘Did you get bombed?’ I asked. ‘Yes’ [...] my wife and kids were windy, and after the fireworks had died down a bit I got out of the shelter to go indoors and make a cup of tea. [Ibid.] 42: In 1940 Hitler held a Brock’s [firework manufacturer] Benefit over London. The fireworks were good in so much that round certain parts of the Elephant many millions of bugs were killed and vile property destroyed.
1952		(con. 1920s) ‘Harry Grey’ Hoods (1953) 68: John, the Finger, doesn’t want anybody hurt [...] so no fireworks.
1962		Ragen & Finston World’s Toughest Prison 799: fireworks – Gun play.
1965		S. Yurick Warriors (1966) 70: He hadn’t heard any fireworks going off for a long time. Did that mean they had stopped shooting off because the neighbourhood was becoming loaded with Law?
1970		L. Sanders Anderson Tapes 234: So then the fireworks start. Guns, lights, screams.

5. a police vehicle with flashing lights.

1975

L. Dills CB Slanguage.