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I am pondering for a word to address something remaining after selecting all the good ones from a group.

I know it is not that clear, but I will try to explain with examples. Say, there are some girls in a class room and all the beautiful girls are all taken by other men and now the remaining girls who are not that beautiful. Or someone selected all the nice Mangoes from a basket and the balance is not that good. So, can we say that we have only “leftovers”? But “leftover” doesn’t mean that the remaining group is not as good as the first group.

So, what is the word to address the remaining group to imply that it is not as good as the selected ones?

Clive · Accepted Answer

Hi,

Welcome to the Forum.

Possibly 'the rejects'? Or just 'the remainder', or 'the ones left over'?

Whatever word you end up using, I think you'd better be careful when and where you use it. Mangos are mangos, and girls are girls.

Best wishes, Clive

Davkett · Answer

Just don't say, the dregs.

CalifJim · Answer

Why not the dregs?  That's the first one I thought of.  Too rude?

Beemer · Answer

Let's say you're at the horse track and the money winners are announced. Then, you might hear something like 'Also running were Gum Legs, Utter Mudder, and Slow Boat'.  From this we get 'also-rans', those that competed but ultimately didn't make the mark/grade/cut, not necessarily bad, just not as good as the others.

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