win the wooden spoon

win the wooden spoon

To finish a contest or competition in last place. (The "wooden spoon" is an imaginary prize said to be awarded to the competitor in last place.) Primarily heard in UK, Australia. Even though his team won the wooden spoon last season, Edwards feels confident that they have as good a chance as any to win the championship this year. I may not have won the wooden spoon, but that was still one of the worst tournament performances of my career.
See also: spoon, win, wooden
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

win the wooden spoon

be the least successful contestant; win the booby prize.
A wooden spoon was originally presented to the candidate coming last in the Cambridge University mathematical tripos (the final honours examination for a BA degree).
See also: spoon, win, wooden
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

get, win, take, etc. the ˌwooden ˈspoon

(British English, informal) come last in a race or competition: England must win this match if they are to avoid taking the wooden spoon.It was a custom at the University of Cambridge to give a wooden spoon to the student of mathematics who had the lowest mark/grade for their year.
See also: spoon, wooden
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • wooden spoonist
  • Let’s have it!
  • let's have it
  • the last of the lot
  • last but not least
  • saloon
  • at the last chance saloon
  • in the last chance saloon
  • on (one's) last legs
  • on last legs
References in periodicals archive
At this rate we will be lucky to win the wooden spoon in the Six Nations.
WEBCHAT; Shock Wales rugby team selection as major stars are dropped
The Dragons surely won't win the wooden spoon again.
The future looks bright for Salford
He said: "I had one text from a matewhosaid:'Failure!Youdidn't win the Wooden Spoon'.
PAL SAYS I'M A LOSER
SPANIEL WINS THE SPOON: Stewart the English Springer Spaniel brought up the tail in Norton's Nuffield Hospital's fun run to win the wooden spoon in July 1988.
Remember When
Wales, for their part, are odds-on favourites to win the wooden spoon for the first time since 1995.
Rugby Union: Irish skipper O'Driscoll wary of `wounded animal'
Those five defeats leave Brad Johnstone's side as the first, since Wales in 1995, to win the wooden spoon.
Rugby Union: Things are not as Brad as they appear; FACTS POINT TO TEAM ON THE UP
At least we can't win the wooden spoon so Scotland should go Italy full of confidence.
Rugby: At home in Rome; FIXIT'S FOCUS RUGBY/F1
I can't see a Grand Slam and the bookmakers agree, going odds-on, so to just up the ante a little I would double up a no Grand Slam bet with Italy to win the wooden spoon. Again, it's a very short price, but the Italian domestic game is dominated by foreign imports.
RUGBY UNION: Geordan can lead Irish on a merry jig
Less than three: Yes, you win the wooden spoon. You are shaken but not stirred.
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