Scrape the bottom of the barrel

Meaning

The idiom "scrape the bottom of the barrel" means to reach the last resort, the lowest point possible, or to exhaust all available options. It can also mean to go to great lengths to find something or to do everything possible to solve a problem. The phrase is derived from the literal act of scraping the bottom of a barrel to extract the last remnants of liquid or material.

Usage

• When my car broke down and I couldn't afford a new one, I had to resort to scraping the bottom of the barrel to find a cheap used car.
• The company was struggling financially and had to scrape the bottom of the barrel to find ways to cut costs.
• After exhausting all other options, the detective decided to scrape the bottom of the barrel and interview everyone in the neighborhood again.
• The hiker had to climb to the top of the mountain and scrape the bottom of the barrel for any available water sources during the drought.
• My friend was desperate to find a job and had to scrape the bottom of the barrel to apply to every opening, no matter how menial or unrelated it was to his skills. The usage of this idiom can vary depending on the context. It can be used in a positive or negative way, depending on the situation. For example, a person may use it when they are trying to find a solution to a problem and have exhausted all other options. On the other hand, a person may use it to express frustration or disappointment that they had to resort to such extreme measures.

Roots and History

The idiom "scrape the bottom of the barrel" dates back to medieval times when barrels were used for storage and transportation of goods. When a barrel was empty, it could be scraped clean to use for another purpose or to extract any remaining residue. Over time, the phrase came to be used metaphorically to describe reaching the last resort or going to great lengths to achieve something.

Synonyms in English

• Exhaust all options
• Use every available resource
• Leave no stone unturned
• Go to great lengths
• Do everything possible

Synonyms in other languages

• 努力地搜索 (Japanese) - This phrase translates to "effortfully search" and is used to describe going to great lengths to find something.
• 희소하게 살아가기 (Korean) - This phrase translates to "live frugally" and is used to describe reaching the last resort or using up all available resources.
• ن마음대로 모든 것을 해보자 (Portuguese) - This phrase translates to "let's try everything" and is used to describe going to great lengths to find a solution or achieve something.
• 자본없이 직면하기 (Italian) - This phrase translates to "to face without capital" and is used to describe reaching the last resort or having no options left.
• 절대적으로 최소 한계 (Spanish) - This phrase translates to "absolutely the minimum limit" and is used to describe going to great lengths to achieve something or using up all available resources.

Similar Idioms

• by all means

• stab in the back

• save your breath