Wooden spoon

Wooden spoon
Wooden Wood"en, a. 1. Made or consisting of wood; pertaining to, or resembling, wood; as, a wooden box; a wooden leg; a wooden wedding. [1913 Webster]

2. Clumsy; awkward; ungainly; stiff; spiritless. [1913 Webster]

When a bold man is out of countenance, he makes a very wooden figure on it. --Collier. [1913 Webster]

His singing was, I confess, a little wooden. --G. MacDonald. [1913 Webster]

{Wooden spoon}. (a) (Cambridge University, Eng.) The last junior optime who takes a university degree, -- denoting one who is only fit to stay at home and stir porridge. ``We submit that a wooden spoon of our day would not be justified in calling Galileo and Napier blockheads because they never heard of the differential calculus.'' --Macaulay. (b) In some American colleges, the lowest appointee of the junior year; sometimes, one especially popular in his class, without reference to scholarship. Formerly, it was a custom for classmates to present to this person a wooden spoon with formal ceremonies.

{Wooden ware}, a general name for buckets, bowls, and other articles of domestic use, made of wood.

{Wooden wedding}. See under {Wedding}. [1913 Webster]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • Wooden Spoon — may refer to:* Wooden spoon, implement * Wooden spoon (award) * Wooden Spoon Society * Ruspoli Sapphire, aka the Wooden Spoon Seller s Sapphire …   Wikipedia

  • wooden spoon — wooden spoons 1) N COUNT A wooden spoon is a spoon that is used for stirring sauces and for mixing ingredients in cooking. It is made of wood and has a long handle. 2) N COUNT: usu the N in sing If someone gets the wooden spoon, they come last in …   English dictionary

  • wooden spoon — n 1.) a large spoon made of wood, used to mix things when cooking 2.) win/collect/take etc the wooden spoon BrE to come last in a competition …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • wooden spoon — noun count a spoon made from wood, used for mixing food when cooking …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • wooden spoon — ► NOUN chiefly Brit. ▪ a real or notional prize awarded to the person who is last in a race or competition. ORIGIN from the former practice of giving a spoon to the candidate coming last in the Cambridge mathematical tripos …   English terms dictionary

  • Wooden spoon — A wooden spoon is a spoon made from wood, commonly used in food preparation. The wooden spoon is also sometimes used in soap making and discipline.HistoryThe word spoon derives from an ancient word meaning a chip of wood or horn carved from a… …   Wikipedia

  • wooden spoon — noun 1. a booby prize consisting of a spoon made of wood • Regions: ↑United Kingdom, ↑UK, ↑U.K., ↑Britain, ↑United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, ↑Great Britain • Hypernyms: ↑ …   Useful english dictionary

  • wooden spoon — UK / US noun Word forms wooden spoon : singular wooden spoon plural wooden spoons 1) [countable] a spoon made from wood, used for mixing food when cooking 2) the wooden spoon British the prize for being last or worst in a race or competition… …   English dictionary

  • wooden spoon — /wʊdn ˈspun/ (say woodn spoohn) noun 1. a spoon made out of wood, as used in cooking. 2. Colloquial the notional prize awarded to the individual or team coming last in a sporting competition. –phrase 3. win (or get) the wooden spoon, Colloquial… …  

  • wooden spoon —    The person who finishes last in a race or competition receives an imaginary prize called the wooden spoon.     Our team got the wooden spoon in this year s tournament …   English Idioms & idiomatic expressions

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