κατὰ τὸν δεύτερον, φασί, πλοῦν τὰ ἐλάχιστα ληπτέον τῶν κακῶν → we must as second best, as people say, take the least of the evils
ἐκσμάω (Α)σφουγγίζω, ξεπλένω, εξαλείφω («οἱ θεράποντες αὐτοῦ ἐξέσμων αὐτά [τὰ ποτήρια]», Ηροδ.).