They barely scratch by on their small salary.
scratch by
idiomTo get by; to make ends meet.
Origin
disputed originFrom scratch + by.
After losing his job, he had to scratch by on his savings until he found new work.
Despite the rising cost of living in the city, the young artist managed to scratch by on odd jobs and freelance commissions.
- 01
chicken scratch
Cramped or illegible handwriting.
- 02
scratch an itch
To satisfy a need or desire.
- 03
scratch beneath the surface
To look or see beyond what is obvious.
- 04
scratch one's head
To puzzle, ponder, or wonder about something.
- 05
scratch one's own itch
To do something out of motivation to solve a personal problem; to take matters into one's own hands.
- 06
scratch that
To disregard, omit, or ignore the previous statement.
- 07
scratch the itch
Alternative form of scratch an itch.
- 08
scratch the surface
To barely begin; to see or do only a fraction of what is possible.