barrel

not be a barrel of laughs (informal)

to not be enjoyable. 'He's a bit serious, isn't he?' 'Yeah, not exactly a barrel of laughs.'

See also: laugh

be more fun than a barrel of monkeys (American, American)

to be very funny or enjoyable. Their show was one of the funniest I've ever seen - more fun than a barrel of monkeys!

See also: fun, monkey, more

have someone over a barrel

to put someone in a very difficult situation in which they have no choice about what to do. She knows I need the work, so she's got me over a barrel in terms of what she pays me.

See also: over

lock, stock, and barrel

including all or every part of something. He's been pressing for the organization to move, lock, stock, and barrel, from Paris to Brussels.

pork barrel (American, informal)

the action by a government of spending money in an area in order to make themselves more popular with the people there. He was critical of these new, expensive job programs as just a form of pork barrel.

See also: pork

pork-barrel (American, informal)

pork barrel - the action by a government of spending money in an area in order to make themselves more popular with the people there. The President needs to find a way to block these wasteful pork-barrel projects coming from Congress. (always before noun)

scrape the barrel (informal)

to use something or someone that you do not want to use because nothing or no one else is available. You know you're really scraping the barrel when you have to ask your old mother to come to the cinema with you. (usually in continuous tenses)

See also: scrape

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the bottom of the barrel

the worst or least able members of a particular group. He described them as the bottom of the barrel of American society. There were only 40 students in the new class, and I think the admissions office was getting to the bottom of the barrel.

Usage notes: sometimes also in the form scrape the bottom of the barrel: I think the awards committee is really scraping the bottom of the barrel if they're giving this award to me.

the cream of the crop

See also: bottom

lock, stock, and barrel

taking or including everything. The soldiers received orders that they were to move, lock, stock and barrel, some 600 miles west.

over a barrel

in a situation in which someone has no choice about what to do. The software company has you over a barrel – if you don't accept the license, you can't use the software.

Usage notes: usually used with have, as in the example

Etymology: based on the idea of making someone lie on a barrel (= a large, curved container) so they will be unable to move freely

See also: over

with both barrels

with as much energy as possible. I always get in trouble for not letting you talk, and now I'm getting it with both barrels because I did let you talk.

Etymology: based on the idea of shooting with a gun that has two barrels (= tubes from which bullets are shot)

See also: both