Wiktionary
a. (alternative spelling of last-gasp English)
WordNet
n. the point of death or exhaustion or completion; "the last gasp of the cold war"
Wikipedia
Last Gasp is a book and underground comix publisher and distributor, with its headquarters in San Francisco. Notable artists published by Last Gasp include Tim Biskup, Robert Crumb, Richard Corben, Ron English, Camille Rose Garcia, Justin Green, Bill Griffith, Spain Rodriguez, Mark Ryden, Dori Seda, Larry Welz, Robert Williams, and S. Clay Wilson.
Today Last Gasp publishes few comic books, though they have published English-language versions of some manga titles, including Barefoot Gen, Pure Trance and Town of Evening Calm, Country of Cherry Blossoms. The company publishes art and photography books, graphic novels, fiction, and poetry.
Last Gasp operates as a publisher, distributor, and wholesaler for books of all types, often with a lowbrow art and counterculture focus.
"Last Gasp" is the fourth episode of the first series of British dark comedy anthology television programme Inside No. 9. It first aired on 26 February 2014 on BBC Two. The story revolves around the ninth birthday of the severely ill Tamsin ( Lucy Hutchinson). Tamsin's parents Jan ( Sophie Thompson) and Graham ( Steve Pemberton) have arranged with charity WishmakerUK for singer Frankie J Parsons ( David Bedella) to visit as a treat for their daughter. Frankie dies after blowing up a balloon, leading to arguments between Graham, WishmakerUK representative Sally ( Tamsin Greig) and Frankie's assistant Si ( Adam Deacon) over the now-valuable balloon containing Frankie's last breath. The story, written by Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, was inspired by someone Pemberton had seen on television who collected air from different places. The episode is more comedic than others in the series, and critiques celebrity culture and human greed.
"Last Gasp" received a fairly negative critical response; in retrospect, Shearsmith claimed that "people hated" the episode. Several critics, including Gerard Gilbert of The Independent, Jack Seale of Radio Times and comedy critic Bruce Dessau—though complimentary of Inside No. 9 generally—considered "Last Gasp" to be weaker than the previous three episodes, but not unwatchable. Other reviewers gave a more positive response, but a particularly scathing review by columnist Virginia Blackburn was published in the Daily Express. On its first showing, "Last Gasp" drew 872,000 viewers, lower than any previous episode. Pemberton subsequently sold a balloon containing his own breath on eBay, with proceeds going to a Sport Relief charity.
Usage examples of "last gasp".
He could drag her by the hair in the dust, beat her, and make her a thing to loathe, and cut her mortally in his savage and implacable thirst for revenge--but with her last gasp she would whisper she loved him and that she had lied to him to kill his faith.
I would not yield, but to the last gasp resolutely defended my dear ones against sorrow and pain.
She resigned to it with a last gasp as the futile flow of her past glory whirled before her mind's eye.
Perhaps the restlessness Chade had stirred in me had been the last gasp of my youth.
It was as though all her frenetic activity was sending out a last gasp to cling to the goodness in life.
That he had that propensity none could deny, but she would fight to the last gasp to prevent him going that road.
Something shifted then, a last gasp, an unloosening, or perhaps it wasn't Somorhas' influence at all, perhaps it was the infusion of wormwood that Meriam got down Liath's parched throat.