*Sigh* - The wooden spoon

**Big Dave** · 28th August 2005, 21:39

The Mighty Carlton Blues finished stone motherless last in the AFL.

**John** · 28th August 2005, 21:45

I actually, for a few seconds feared that you were delt a beating with a spoon - the punishment that left scares... memories...memories..

**Big Dave** · 28th August 2005, 21:48

Originally Posted by John

I actually, for a few seconds feared that you were delt a beating with a spoon - the punishment that left scares... memories...memories..

I think I was only ever threatened with it, and the 'strap' for seriously bad shit.

I wonder why coming last is called the wooden spoon - anyone know?

**John** · 28th August 2005, 21:55

Originally Posted by Big Dave

I think I was only ever threatened with it, and the 'strap' for seriously bad shit.

I wonder why coming last is called the wooden spoon - anyone know?

Because real parents beat the shit out of their kids for loosing!

Strap is more affective, but need more effort to draw blood, meat tenderiser on the bread board, that really did hurt.

**Motu** · 28th August 2005, 22:31

The wooden spoon was greatly feared in my day as a boy,every mother,and every aunty had a wooden spoon.Little boys wore shorts,and bare legs were the target....''and don't cover your legs with your hands or I'll hit those too!'' I think the only thing the wooden spoon taught me was never to use it on my own kids....and hence the destruction of society as we knew it.....

**thehollowmen** · 28th August 2005, 22:46

Originally Posted by Big Dave

I think I was only ever threatened with it, and the 'strap' for seriously bad shit.

I wonder why coming last is called the wooden spoon - anyone know?

My great aunt had a 1.5 meter high wooden spoon that scared the shit out of us kids until about the age of 14 when I realised she'd never be able to lift it off the wall.

Anyways, wasn't a wooden spoon a 'booboo' prize?

**Lou Girardin** · 29th August 2005, 12:20

Apparently one of the English public schools awarded spoons as prizes, gold, silver etc. The wooden spoon was not highly prized.

**riffer** · 29th August 2005, 12:38

Originally Posted by Lou Girardin

Apparently one of the English public schools awarded spoons as prizes, gold, silver etc. The wooden spoon was not highly prized.

A quick google reveals:

The wooden spoon is a real or imaginary prize given in fun to the person or team coming last in a competition. But where did this idea of connecting coming last with wooden spoons come from? Well, when the classical tripos (or final degree examination) was instituted at Cambridge in 1824 it was debated by what name to call the person who came last on the list. (Why they felt that had to have a label for the one who came last I don’t know – except that public humiliation is a grand old English public school tradition.) It so happened that the last name on the list was Wedgwood (a famous Cambridge name – whether related to the porcelain making family or not, I don’t know). And this person’s name was adopted in a slightly modified form: the last in the classical tripos was said to be the “wooden wedge”. When the mathematical tripos was established at Cambridge (also early in the 19th century) they chose to call the last on their list of examination results the wooden spoon (perhaps from the example already set by the classical scholars). In fact, at one time the candidate who actually came last in the examinations was presented with a real wooden spoon. Today the phrase has shifted from the real to the metaphorical, and the application has broadened to all areas of competition, but, aside from that, the meaning has not changed. Nor has the intention – public humiliation. All in good fun, of course.

**GR81** · 29th August 2005, 14:02

Essendon wasnt much better

**Big Dave** · 29th August 2005, 16:56

Originally Posted by GR81

Essendon wasnt much better

Nor Collingwood, Richmond, Hawthorn or most of the Melbourne clubs bar St Kilda.

I wonder what the English soccer would be like with an AFL 'levelling' style draft.

**sels1** · 29th August 2005, 17:13

Originally Posted by Big Dave

The Mighty Carlton Blues finished stone motherless last in the AFL.

Time to start watching rugby Dave, and remember, you are cheering for the blokes in the black shirts, not the yellow ones...

**Big Dave** · 29th August 2005, 17:39

Originally Posted by sels1

Time to start watching rugby Dave, and remember, you are cheering for the blokes in the black shirts, not the yellow ones...

Can't do it - tried a few times now.
If you are brought up on Rugby League, the Union is very hard to watch.
Being disinterested also helps socially.
Someone comes out sparring with 'gregan's a fuckwit'
and it's game over with - 'is he? never really seen him play.'

NEXT!

**Oscar** · 29th August 2005, 17:48

Originally Posted by Big Dave

NEXT!

Wanna talk about the Ashes?

I never met an Aussie that didnae like cricket...

**zadok** · 29th August 2005, 17:50

WCE disapointed not beating the Crows. It will be a tough game for them against the Swans next Friday, even tho it is over here. Three birdies finished at the top!