Help me understand the phrase ‘Last but not least’

Pretty simple, imagine rambling off something on a list….you simply want the people listening to realize that just because you are mentioning them last, doesn’t mean they are less important/valuable/etc than the rest

But doesn’t the wording imply that something is least?

Auburn is a great example of last and least this year

One fell swoop.

It means everything he said was important. Also lets you know he’s finally almost finished rambling. Didn’t everyone have a professor like this?

Last point I'm making but it's not the least important point.

it originates in biblical principle

Don’t overthink it. It’s just a consolation for the last thing mentioned.

quote:

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However, does that mean another entry somewhere in the list is least? Or something not even on the list is least?

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Yes, yes it does mean that.

Why is that a problem?

It masks who or what is 'least' in the list.

If you list off a hundred names and say "last but not least" all it does it eliminate the last name from being least out of hundred. If you hadn't said that, one might assume the last person is indeed least. But since you had said that, nobody can possibly guess who is least, therefore nobody listed is under suspicion of being least.