Cryptic crossword clue
Barely manage living — the set grub scanty to the extreme 3,2

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 3 plus 2 letter word GET BY

G
E
T
B
Y

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Barely manage" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case barely manage = get by.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

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