Isn't that a quote from William Faulkner's As Hamlet Lay Dying?

jmh, I was being ridiculous. Haven't you fathomed yet the superficiality of my sense of humor? I stive so hard to
make nothing out of nothing.

My joke was (alas) a damp squib.

I like the sound of "damp squid" even better and wish we could construct a definition for that!

Beat regards,
WordWashedOut