I think this might be “scraping the bottom of the barrel”. Getting every last bit out, even if it’s poor quality? (Somewhat like my answer )
First used in the UK in Scotland in 1884, these spread to Northern Ireland then England the following year - before becoming popular in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand. A common sight in the UK until the mid 1970s, the last one was in use until 2015. What were they?