squibbing

verb

1. (form-of, gerund, participle, present)present participle and gerund of squib

noun

1. (dated)A squib; a sarcastic jibe or petty dispute.
2. A small shot or explosion.

   “Like the eagle, the nearer he approximates to the sun, the clearer his vision, and the less the squibbings of the marksman affect him […]”