scrape the bottom of the barrel
- scrape the bottom of the barrel
scrape the bottom of the barrel
to select from among the worst; to choose from what is left over. •
You've bought a bad-looking car. You really scraped the bottom of the barrel to get that one.
•
The worker you sent over was the worst I've ever seen. Send me another—and don't scrape the bottom of the barrel.
* * *
{v. phr.}, {informal} To use or take whatever is left after the most or the best has been taken; accept the leftovers. * /At first they took out quarters, but they had so little money that they had to scrape the bottom of the barrel and paid with nickels and pennies for their lunch./ * /The garage owner had to scrape the bottom of the barrel to find a qualified mechanic to work for him./
Dictionary of American idioms.
2013.
Look at other dictionaries:
scrape the barrel (or the bottom of the barrel) — informal be reduced to using the last and poorest resources. → scrape … English new terms dictionary
scrape the barrel — ► scrape the barrel (or the bottom of the barrel) informal be reduced to using the last and poorest resources. Main Entry: ↑scrape … English terms dictionary
scrape the bottom of the barrel — ► scrape the barrel (or the bottom of the barrel) informal be reduced to using the last and poorest resources. Main Entry: ↑scrape … English terms dictionary
scrape the bottom of the barrel — {v. phr.}, {informal} To use or take whatever is left after the most or the best has been taken; accept the leftovers. * /At first they took out quarters, but they had so little money that they had to scrape the bottom of the barrel and paid with … Dictionary of American idioms
scrape the bottom of the barrel — informal phrase to use or do something that you know is not very good, because you do not have anything better They’re really scraping the bottom of the barrel with these latest recruits. Thesaurus: to use something, or to be usedsynonym… … Useful english dictionary
scrape (the bottom of) the barrel — scrape (the bottom of) the ˈbarrel idiom (disapproving) to have to use whatever things or people you can get, because there is not much choice available Main entry: ↑scrapeidiom … Useful english dictionary
scrape\ the\ bottom\ of\ the\ barrel — v. phr. informal To use or take whatever is left after the most or the best has been taken; accept the leftovers. At first they took out quarters, but they had so little money that they had to scrape the bottom of the barrel and paid with nickels … Словарь американских идиом
scrape the bottom of the barrel — If you scrape the bottom of the barrel, you use the worst or the least satisfactory ideas, things or people because you have no choice. When they started to recruit, they had to scrape the bottom of the barrel because the best people has… … English Idioms & idiomatic expressions
scrape the bottom of the barrel — tv. to tilize the last or only things or people available, even if unsatisfactory. (See also bottom of the barrel.) □ They were really scraping the bottom of the barrel when they picked you. □ You scraped the bottom of the barrel for this one. I… … Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions
scrape the bottom of the barrel — use the last ones or the worst ones, seconds He s a bad referee. We scraped the bottom of the barrel to find him … English idioms
