scratch beneath the surface

chicken scratch

Cramped or illegible handwriting.

scratch an itch

To satisfy a need or desire.

scratch by

To get by; to make ends meet.

scratch one's head

To puzzle, ponder, or wonder about something.

scratch one's own itch

To do something out of motivation to solve a personal problem; to take matters into one's own hands.

scratch that

To disregard, omit, or ignore the previous statement.

scratch the itch

Alternative form of scratch an itch.

scratch the surface

To barely begin; to see or do only a fraction of what is possible.