[General] scrape one’s way through

[vil]

Dear teachers,

Would you tell me whether I am right about my interpretation of the expression in bold in the following sentence?

The lane was so narrow that a donkey with panniers could hardly have scraped its way through.

scrape through = to succeed or manage with difficulty

scrape one’s way through = force one’s way through

Thanks for your efforts.

Regards,

V

 

[buggles]

Dear teachers,

Would you tell me whether I am right about my interpretation of the expression in bold in the following sentence?

The lane was so narrow that a donkey with panniers could hardly have scraped its way through.

scrape through = to succeed or manage with difficulty:tick:

scrape one’s way through = force one’s way through

Thanks for your efforts.

Regards,

V

Scraping one's way through doesn't usually imply force being used - merely that one only just managed to get through. You can just scrape a pass in an exam by getting the bare minimum for a pass grade. It's similar to "by the skin of your teeth" which also tells us something has only just been achieved.