bottom of the barrel

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English

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Noun

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the bottom of the barrel

  1. (figurative, somewhat derogatory) The lowest possible level of a person or thing in terms of character or quality; also, a person or thing at such a level.
    He went from being at the bottom of the barrel to being an inch above the bottom of the barrel.
    • 2007, Robert Reginald, Douglas Menville, Forgotten Fantasy: Issue #2, December 1970, page 32:
      Here is the first new collection of Rohmer stories in years, and they are the absolute bottom of the barrel! Detective stories, romances, war stories — everything but the "strange stories" advertised in the title.
    • 2010, Donna Wheeler et al., Tunisia, page 212:
      The bottom of the barrel as far as accommodation in the Ville Nouvelle goes.
    • 2023 March 5, Miranda Sawyer, quoting Jason Williamson, “Sleaford Mods: ‘The UK is like a crazy golf course – all we’ve got left are landmarks’”, in The Guardian[1], →ISSN:
      I know it’s hard work in our game, and you get to a point, 15 years into a career, where you’re not bringing in much dough. But it’s proper bottom of the barrel, a celebrity Britain’s Got Talent.

Derived terms

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Translations

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