Last One In is a Rotten Egg

Meaning of Idiom ‘Last One In is a Rotten Egg’

Last one in is a rotten egg is used by children (or by adults with humor) as a way to urge others to join in. It especially refers to jumping into water. ¹Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms]. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.

Usage

This expression may be related to the idioms good egg and bad egg, as a rotten egg is a very bad egg. However, it holds no real meaning and is simply a way to urge others to have fun.

Examples Of Use

“Last one in is a rotten egg!” yelled Susan, jumping into the pool.

“C’mon, the water isn’t that bad. Last one in is a rotten egg!”

“This is where the party is,” said Ed. “Last one inside is a rotten egg.”

“Last one in is a rotten egg,” someone yelled, causing the kids to stampede toward the swimming hole.

Origin

Used since at least the 1950’s.

More Idioms Starting with L

• Long in the Tooth
• Loosen Up
• Like There’s No Tomorrow
• The Lights Are On But Nobody’s Home
• Lump In Your Throat

More Egg Idioms

• Good Egg
• Bad Egg
• Don’t Put All Your Eggs In One Basket

More Food Related Idioms

• Proof is in the Pudding, the
• Cool As a Cucumber
• That’s the Way the Cookie Crumbles
• Couch Potato
• Not For All the Tea in China

More Last Idioms

• Last Resort
• On Your (or One’s) Last Legs
• Last Word, the
• The Straw That Broke the Camel’s Back
• Last Person (or Thing), the

More In Idioms

• Chime In
• Have Someone in the Palm of One’s Hand
• Runs in the Family
• Day In And Day Out
• In For It (or Something), to be

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