dead donkey

noun3

1. •
   A news item of no real significance, usually of whimsical or sentimental nature, placed at the end of a news bulletin or in a newspaper as filler. A dead donkey can often be removed from the programme or publication if a more significant story needs extra time or space.

   • Swap these ages around to produce a 59-year-old father and a 45-year-old mother and what was previously a hot news story becomes a dead donkey. — 1994
2. •
   Something useless on which time or effort is wasted.

   • Happily he cannot effect this object for Haldane has a backbone and will go straight on regardless of all the old boys and professors who beat your "dead donkeys of pedantic professionalism". — 1999
3. •
   A rarity.

   • A dead bore is as rare a phenomenon as a dead donkey or a dead attorney. — 1833