|pēzə|lā, |pēˌza|lā, pēˈza(ˌ)lā noun
( plural pis allers -ā(z))
Etymology: French, literally, to go worst
: a last resource or device for coping with a difficulty : expedient , shift
Poor Laws were an unhappy pis aller, revealing the failure of society to deal … with its economic problems — R.M.MacIver