scraped the bottom of the barrel
Used last resort
Scraped the bottom of the barrel describes resorting to the worst available options after better ones are exhausted—like reaching into an empty barrel for whatever dregs remain.
The phrase often criticizes poor quality: The hiring pool was so thin we really scraped the bottom of the barrel.
It can be self-deprecating or dismissive of others' choices.
- low-gradeOf poor quality
- strugglingExperiencing serious difficulty
- scraping byBarely having enough
- shortageDeficient supply of necessities
- exhaustionState of utter depletion
inferior · last resort · last ditch effort · subpar · slim pickings · second-rate · making do · making ends meet · depletion · shoddy · undesirable · dregs · settling · scarcity · compromising · mediocre · bare minimum · running dry
scraped the bottom of the barrelcherry-picked
Chose only supporting evidence
cream of the crop · crème de la crème · top-shelf · handpicked · best of the best
scraped the bottom of the barrelcherry-picking
Choosing only supporting examples
scrape, scraped, scrapes, scraper, scrapers, bottom, bottoms, bottomed, bottoming