Theseus
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bottom of the barrel
The least desirable, the dregs, as in:-
--The nominating committee had trouble finding candidates; they were settling for the bottom of the barrel.
The phrase often occurs in scrape the bottom of the barrel, meaning "to use the least desirable elements" (because one has no choice), as in 'Bringing up that minor legal point proves that you're scraping the bottom of the barrel.'
This metaphor for the sediment left by wine in a barrel was already used by Cicero to describe the lowest elements of Roman society.
I heard it yesterday when someone said while watching the BBC 'There's nothing on the news tonight, they are scraping the bottom of the barrel'.
Of people it means the least desirable; the dregs.
Example: The selection committee had trouble finding suitable candidates for the CEO [Chief Executive Position] - they were settling for the bottom of the barrel.
The least desirable, the dregs, as in:-
--The nominating committee had trouble finding candidates; they were settling for the bottom of the barrel.
The phrase often occurs in scrape the bottom of the barrel, meaning "to use the least desirable elements" (because one has no choice), as in 'Bringing up that minor legal point proves that you're scraping the bottom of the barrel.'
This metaphor for the sediment left by wine in a barrel was already used by Cicero to describe the lowest elements of Roman society.
I heard it yesterday when someone said while watching the BBC 'There's nothing on the news tonight, they are scraping the bottom of the barrel'.
Of people it means the least desirable; the dregs.
Example: The selection committee had trouble finding suitable candidates for the CEO [Chief Executive Position] - they were settling for the bottom of the barrel.