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Glite Dictionary
to scrape the bottom of the barrel

to scrape the bottom of the barrel

3 7.5
Use the least good options because nothing better is left
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : recurrir a lo peor
  • The team was scraping the bottom of the barrel for ideas after several brainstorming sessions failed.
  • really scrape the bottom of the barrel

OK, Now they scrape the bottom of the barrel.

Examples

  • With a record of supporting policies that hurt coal, Tim Kaine is scraping the bottom of the barrel with a TV ad that desperately attempts to attack George Allen's pro-energy record," said Emily Davis, spokeswoman for George Allen for U.S. Senate.

    Blog text (16)

  • Man, people are really scraping the bottom of the barrel to find something on this woman.

    Blog text (17)

  • Obviously, we're scraping the bottom of the barrel, but hey, we gotta keep the lights on around here, right?

    Blog text (28)

  • You are scraping the bottom of the barrel here.

    Blog text (11)

  • You propose we scrape the bottom of the barrel for 12 of our worst kids.

    Only the Strong (1993)

  • I hope I am wrong and the series turns out to be a hit, but I just feel like they are scraping the bottom of the barrel for ideas.

    Blog text (27)

  • They are scraping the bottom of the barrel for cheerleaders these days.

    Uncle Buck (1989)

  • They are scraping the bottom of the barrel for credible spokespeople.

    Blog text (16)

  • When it's the last of the month and you're scraping the bottom of the barrel to meet expenses, those kinds of tenants are lifesavers!

    Blog text (18)

  • Well, the problem is that Walmart, like every single other retailer right now, is scraping the bottom of the barrel trying to find any GPU to buy.

Antonyms

best option
22 1.3

A choice that is most suitable among other choices

How Desperate

to scrape the bottom of the barrel
  • Informal
3 7.5
to resort
154 4.8
to settle for
143 3.6

Surface Forms

scrape the bottom of the barrel infinitive
scraped the bottom of the barrel past
scraped the bottom of the barrel past participle
scraping the bottom of the barrel present participle
scrapes the bottom of the barrel third person singular

Morphology

scrape + the + bottom + of + the + barrel

The phrase evokes a clear literal image—using 'scrape' to take the last residues from the 'bottom' of a 'barrel'—so its figurative sense of taking the last or least desirable options is inferable from the parts. However, this is a metaphorical extension rather than a straightforward compositional meaning, so learners may need prior exposure or reasoning to reach the exact pragmatic sense.

Etymology

Scrape the bottom of the barrel comes from the image of someone using a tool to scrape the bottom of a wooden barrel to reach the last bits of food or liquid left inside. So, it now means 'to use the least desirable options because nothing better is left'.