# scrape the bottom of the barrel

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/scrape-the-bottom-of-the-barrel
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To settle for a poor option due to a lack or unavailability of anything more favorable.

## Examples

- We are scraping the bottom of the barrel for new ideas.
- After all the good candidates were hired, the company had to scrape the bottom of the barrel to fill the remaining positions.
- Faced with a dwindling supply of resources, the explorers realized they were scraping the bottom of the barrel and would soon need to find a new way to survive.

## Origin

Derived from the historical practice in early European history of storing food supplies in wooden barrels. When the contents ran low, the final remnants had to be physically removed by scraping the floor of the vessel. It was a task reserved for the end of the supply, performed when one had exhausted the more accessible portions. In the case of oil storage, the heavier fractions of the liquid, such as asphaltum, would sink to the base due to their weight. This left a thick, sediment-heavy layer that was notoriously difficult to scrape from the bottom of the barrel. One began the season with the lighter oils and ended it by contending with the sludge.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.