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A wooden spoon is a spoon made from wood, usually given to an individual or team which has come last in a competition, but sometimes also to runners-up. Examples range from the academic to sporting and more frivolous events. The term is of British origin and has spread to other Commonwealth countries. == Wooden spoon at the University of Cambridge == The wooden spoon was presented originally at the University of Cambridge as a kind of booby prize awarded by the students to the man who achieved the lowest exam marks but still earned a third-class degree (a ''junior optime'') in the Mathematical Tripos. The term "wooden spoon" or simply "the spoon" was also applied to the recipient, and the prize became quite notorious: The spoons themselves, actually made of wood, grew larger, and in latter years measured up to five feet long. By tradition, they were dangled in a teasing way from the upstairs balcony in the Senate House, in front of the recipient as he came before the Vice-Chancellor to receive his degree, at least until 1875 when the practice was specifically banned by the University.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 title=Cambridge Mathematical Tripos: Wooden Spoons )〕 The lowest placed students earning a second-class (''senior optime'') or first-class degree (''wrangler'') were sometimes known as the "silver spoon" and "golden spoon" respectively.〔 In contrast, the highest-scoring male student was named the "senior wrangler". Students unfortunate enough to place below the wooden spoon, by achieving only an Ordinary degree, were given a variety of names depending on their number. In the 1860s about three-quarters of the roughly 400 candidates did not score enough to be awarded honours, and were known as ''poll men''. The custom dates back at least to the late 18th century, being recorded in 1803,〔 and continued until 1909.〔(【引用サイトリンク】 title= University of Cambridge Exhibitions: "In honours mathematical, the very last of all: Cambridge Wooden Spoons" )〕 From 1910 onwards the results have been given in alphabetical rather than score order, and so it is now impossible to tell who has come last, unless there is only one person in the lowest class.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Wooden spoon (award)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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