tail light / last place
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last place
In a figurative sense, the person, team, or country that occupies last place in a competition, ranking, or statistic.
Nach der Niederlage am Wochenende ist der Verein nun das Schlusslicht der Tabelle.
After the defeat at the weekend, the club is now in last place in the table.
The word is made up of 'der Schluss' (the end) and 'das Licht' (the light). So it literally describes a light at the end, which explains both the technical and the figurative meaning.
Das Schlusslicht des Zuges war noch lange zu sehen.
The tail light of the train could still be seen for a long time.
You can easily recognize the meaning from the context. If people are talking about vehicles, bicycles, or trains, the lamp is meant. If it is about sports, competitions, or rankings, last place is meant.
Bitte schalte das Schlusslicht am Fahrrad an, es wird dunkel.
Please turn on the tail light on the bicycle; it's getting dark.
In the figurative meaning, 'Schlusslicht' (last place) is often used with certain verbs. Typical phrases are 'das Schlusslicht sein' (to be in last place), 'das Schlusslicht bilden' (to bring up the rear), or 'das Schlusslicht innehaben' (to hold last place).
Keine Mannschaft möchte am Ende der Saison das Schlusslicht sein.
No team wants to be in last place at the end of the season.
midfield / middle range
'das Mittelfeld' and 'das Schlusslicht' describe positions in a ranking or competition. 'Mittelfeld' means a middle position: not especially high up, but not all the way at the bottom either. 'Schlusslicht' means last place. So the words are opposites. They can be confused because both often occur in tables, statistics, or sports reports. As a memory aid: in the 'Mittelfeld', you are average; as the 'Schlusslicht', you are right at the back.
Bei der Umfrage ist die Stadt im Bereich Fahrradwege das Schlusslicht.
In the survey, the city is in last place when it comes to bike lanes.
Nach mehreren Siegen steht der Verein wieder sicher im Mittelfeld der Tabelle.
After several wins, the club is safely back in the middle of the table.