scrape along

scrape along

1. To manage to survive or narrowly meet all of one's living requirements, despite having limited funds or resources. After John lost his job, we've had to scrape along on what's left of our savings. When I was in college, I scraped along with what I could earn as a part-time line cook.
2. To barely succeed or accomplish something by reaching a minimal or base level of acceptability. A: "Did you pass the test?" B: "Yeah, I managed to scrape along, but I was hoping to do better." Surprising many, the reigning champion only managed to scrape along with a 16-15 victory in the qualifying round.
See also: scrape
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

scrape along (on something)

 and scrape along (with something)
to manage just to get along with a minimum amount of something. We can just scrape along on the money I earn from my sewing. Do you think you can scrape along with just $400 per month?
See also: scrape
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

scrape along

v.
1. To succeed just barely in managing or surviving, especially despite severely limited resources: We scraped along on very little income until I could find work.
2. To succeed or manage at a level of minimal acceptability: The parents were concerned that their child was just scraping along.
See also: scrape
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • scrape along on (something)
  • scrape along with (something)
  • scrape by
  • a full-time job
  • (one's) John Henry
  • at (one's) doorstep
  • at doorstep
  • at somebody's expense
  • at someone's expense
  • at (one's) expense
References in periodicals archive
When they had all left the house, she pulled her T-shirt up to show me the most awful scrape along her ribs.
Great husband until he gets drunk
If Mr Davies feels that he cannot possibly scrape along on pounds 184,000, then perhaps he would like to join the ranks of the unemployed.
Letter: Chief executive isn't living in real world
'He began to scrape along the barrier on the grass verge - one of his tyres collided with a concrete block.
Man killed 'by drink driver' in lift home, court told
Remember, you want the bristles to be low enough to prevent air breezing past, but not so low they scrape along the floor and make it difficult to open and shut.
Homes: Keep the winter chill out of your home
Faced with a huge repair bill, the Borders outfit had to decide whether to scrape along with the most basic facilities or embark on an ambitious re-building programme.
Rugby union: Water woes over
Just look at Michael Portillo who suffered the ignominy of being shunted out of frontline politics only to scrape along with dinner engagements paying ten grand a time and a string of directorships with some of the biggest firms in the UK.
MONEY: Nothing ventured, nothing gained