Exploding Cigar

Any ridiculous or bound-to-fail attempt to either assassinate or prank a target or friend. For example: Attempting to assassinate a person using a 50 year old pistol which has barely been repaired, or trying to prank a friend with a whoopee cushion that has holes in it.

Jimmy tried pranking me yesterday, but it was just a stupid exploding cigar.

Someone had attempted to assassinate the brutal communist dictator, but unfortunately the attempt was just an exploding cigar.