Question

Scrape the Bottom of the Barrel to use whatever is left after the best have been taken; to be forced to use the remnants of something; to choose among the worst of something

Accepted Answer

I rented the last car, and they really scraped the bottom of the barrel to find that one. Many things are stored in barrels, and the dregs sink to the bottom. So, if you need something urgently and most of it has already been taken, you have to scrape the bottom of the barrel to get whatever you can. This idiom applies to having to take the worst of something because there's nothing good left.

Idiom	Scrape the Bottom of the Barrel
Example	I rented the last car, and they really scraped the bottom of the barrel to find that one.
Meaning	to use whatever is left after the best have been taken; to be forced to use the remnants of something; to choose among the worst of something
Origin	Many things are stored in barrels, and the dregs sink to the bottom. So, if you need something urgently and most of it has already been taken, you have to scrape the bottom of the barrel to get whatever you can. This idiom applies to having to take the worst of something because there's nothing good left.

Bottom Barrel Scrape Worst I Rented Car Scraped