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to scrape (the bottom of) the barrel
01
to have no option but to make use of people or things of very poor quality
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What is the origin of the idiom "scrape the barrel" and when to use it?
The origin of the idiom "scrape the barrel" can be traced back to the literal act of scraping the bottom of a barrel. In earlier times, barrels were commonly used for storage, and when the contents of the barrel were almost depleted, one would scrape the remaining bits from the bottom. This action was often associated with collecting leftovers or obtaining the last remnants of something.
Example
With the pantry nearly empty, the family had to scrape the barrel for dinner, making a meal out of the few ingredients left in the kitchen.
The company was desperate to hire new employees and had to scrape the barrel, resorting to candidates with minimal qualifications and experience.
The film production faced budget constraints and had to scrape the barrel for costume options, resulting in subpar outfits for the actors.
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