the.com/booby
The prize for last place, if last place also got to keep its dignity.
means A foolish or clumsy person — someone who's easily fooled or just not very sharp.
from Likely from Spanish 'bobo' meaning fool or stupid, probably tracing back to Latin 'balbus' meaning stammering — the idea being someone who can't even speak clearly is probably not thinking clearly either. The seabird called a booby got its name the same way, since sailors found the bird's tameness and clumsiness on land comically stupid, making it an easy catch — hence 'booby prize,' the dubious reward for coming in last.
- origin
- From Spanish bobo, meaning fool
- bird
- Named for its clumsy, trusting landings on ships
- booby prize
- Reward for the worst performance, given affectionately
- slang shift
- Became 1930s slang for breasts, unrelated to bird