skreɪp ðə ˈbærəl
General
informal
intermediate
- Literally:
- Scraping the bottom of a container
What does "scrape the barrel" mean?
- To use the last of your resources
- To resort to inferior options when nothing better is available
Examples
- We're really scraping the barrel for candidates.
- If we hire him, we're scraping the barrel.
- The team is scraping the barrel for new ideas.
Origin
From scraping the last bits of food from the bottom of storage barrels when supplies run low.
How to use it
Usually critical—implies poor quality options. Common in hiring and selection contexts.
Similar expressions
resort to leftovers
use the dregs
bottom of the barrel
Opposites
pick of the litter
cream of the crop
first choice
Related idioms
- actions speak louder than words
What people do is more important than what they say
- better safe than sorry
It's better to be careful and prevent problems than to take risks
- so far so good
Things have gone well up to now
- easier said than done
Something is more difficult to do than to talk about
- make a long story short
To summarize or get to the point
- to make matters worse
In addition to existing problems
Use it in a practice answer
Try "scrape the barrel" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.