Last-ditch idea?

Reader question:

Please explain this headline: “A Last-Ditch Idea to Fight Climate Change”. What does last-ditch mean here?

My comments:

It means, among other things, that the author (say, a scientist) of this particular “Idea” is running out of ideas (solutions).

Last-ditch means simply the last. This is the final proposal, after which there’ll be no more. In other words, the world is doomed if this proposal is not taken seriously.

In short, it is the final proposal the scientist has for saving the planet. After that, well, heaven knows what. It is beyond the author of this “last-ditch idea” – he’s giving up after a series of similar proposals and efforts have all come to naught.

Anyways, last-ditch is the question for us to dwell on here and here we’re talking about an idiom with a military origin. “Ditch” refers to one of the trenches – long narrow open holes – soldiers dig out of the ground to shelter them from enemy gunfire. This term dates to 1905 (Dictionary.com), or prior to the First World War when trench warfare was the order of the day. And soldiers dig many of them, each lining 50 meters or more (or less according to local geography) behind the other. These ditches serve as defense lines. When one ditch is lost, soldiers retreat to the next line of defense.

Last ditch?

Yes, that means the last line of defense. If this is lost, there’ll be no more ditches to retreat to. In other words, you’ve got your back against the wall. Either fight (to the last man) or give up (surrender) or, if that’s too much for you, flee the field. Fight or flight, as it were.

In other words, no more options.

Anyhow, when soldiers say they’ve fought to the last pitch, it means they’ve done their best, fought to the last. Hence, whenever people talk about making a last-ditch effort at something, they mean to say it’s their last meaningful attempt at it – after many similar such attempts have been made, that is, all in vain. After this they’re prepared to give up, either in terms of effort or hope and are ready to, using the fleeing soldier analogy, leave the scene.

Here are a few media examples of “last-ditch” used as an adjective:

1. A LAST ditch attempt to save a support grant for students failed when the Government last night scrapped the Education Maintenance Allowance.

The Labour Party’s call for Education Secretary Michael Gove to rethink his controversial decision was defeated by 317 votes to 258, a Government majority 59.

It followed a full day's debate with clashes in the Commons and protests on the streets.

Hundreds of students visited the country’s capital to lobby against the proposals.

And among them were students from Plymouth who also handed a petition to city MP Oliver Colvile.

But their campaign collapsed when MPs voted in favour of ditching the EMA, which helps poor families pay for transport costs for attending college among other things.

City College Plymouth student Rachel Clancy, aged 17, from Honicknowle, said: “There will be a serious question mark for a lot of people over whether they can now attend college.

“Loads will pull out. It will affect a lot of people from poorer families.

“It is creating a divide between upper and lower class. It will be difficult for me to pay for transport to get to and from college but I think I may just manage.

“A lot won’t be able to manage.”

- Decision to axe education grant ‘will force out students’, thisisplymouth.co.uk, January 20, 2011.

2. Gordon Brown will make a last-ditch appeal today to Angela Merkel to rally behind Tony Blair as the first president of Europe.

The Prime Minister – who will lobby other EU leaders at a ceremony to mark the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall – will tell the German Chancellor that Europe needs a “big hitter” on the world stage rather than someone to chair meetings – as some EU leaders view the new post to be created under the Treaty of Lisbon.

- PM’s last-ditch appeal to Merkel for Blair EU presidency, Independent.co.uk, November 9, 2009.

3. The United States, Europe and the Middle East quartet are engaged in a last-ditch effort to set up a fresh round of Israeli-Palestinian peace talks in an attempt to head off a major diplomatic embarrassment over the looming Palestinian request for recognition of statehood at the UN.

The US is leading diplomatic pressure on Israeli and Palestinian leaders in a bid to persuade the parties back to negotiations rather than risk a damaging collision in New York next week. Secretary of state Hillary Clinton is in telephone contact with the three delegations in the region, who are co-ordinating their efforts.

Washington is keen to avoid carrying out a threat to veto a Palestinian request for full membership of the UN, a move likely to further damage America’s already battered reputation in the Middle East, particularly following its strong backing for moves towards self-determination in the region this year.

But some at the heart of the diplomatic manoeuvres believe that it is now too late to stop the Palestinians taking their case to the UN and are concentrating on damage limitation by seeking a clear position for a return to the negotiation table after the world body meets.

The Palestinians insist that they will not be diverted from making a formal request at the security council for full member status, and that diplomatic interventions have come too late. They claim to be resisting pressure, which included President Obama this week describing their move as “counterproductive”.

Washington, fearing isolation in wielding its veto, is seeking support from Britain in particular in its stand against the Palestinian resolution if it comes to a vote. Two other security council members, Russia and China, have openly backed the Palestinian move. France is sympathetic to the Palestinian demand but is seeking a compromise resolution that could be supported by Germany, which is opposed to UN recognition of a Palestinian state, in the hope of forging a common EU position.

Britain has so far not declared how it would vote but diplomatic sources say that it is torn between American pressure to support the US position in the security council and concerns about what such a move would do to the UK’s standing in a changing Middle East, particularly while it is still heavily involved in Libya.

- United States in last-ditch effort to set up Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, Guardian.co.uk, September 14, 2011.

About the author:

Zhang Xin is Trainer at chinadaily.com.cn. He has been with China Daily since 1988, when he graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University. Write him at: zhangxin@chinadaily.com.cn, or raise a question for potential use in a future column.