# spoon bowl

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/spoon-bowl
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A match between the last placed and second last placed team in an Australian sports league, derived from the fact that the team that finishes last is informally awarded the "wooden spoon"

## Examples

- Both teams are playing poorly in this year's spoon bowl.
- The fans were disappointed to see their team fighting to avoid losing the spoon bowl.
- Despite the lack of prestige, the players treated the spoon bowl as a serious test of their professional pride.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.