wooden spoon
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Sense 1
a symbol of last place or poor performance
Examples
AI-drafted example auto-approved by rule (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-31; pending editor spot-check.
Sense 2
(Cambridge.) The last junior optime. See WRANGLER, OPTIME.
Era: ca. 1811 (Georgian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Grose’s Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue (1811 edition, public domain; Project Gutenberg #5402, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Sense 3
the last junior optime who takes a University degree; denoting one who is only fit to stay at home, and stir porridge.—Cambridge. The expression is also parliamentary slang, and is applied to the member of the ministry whose name appears in the division lists least frequently. At the ministerial dinner annually held at Greenwich, such member sometimes has a wooden spoon presented to him.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “wooden spoon” mean?
a symbol of last place or poor performance Literally: a spoon made of wood
Is “wooden spoon” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.