cliché: at the end of my rope

Meaning: out of options or alternatives (definition).

Example: My cell phone was locked in the car with my keys and wallet - I was at the end of my rope.

Origins: A rope thrown to someone for help or provided as a resource. (Sources. OED [b])

Rewrites:

• at the loose end of an untethered rope (rescue)
• grabbed the short end of a shrinking rope (resource)
• ran out of ladder
• reduced to pennies and pocket lint
• bailing with a bottomless pail
• at the mercy of a slippery rope with no grip
• on the last strand of an unraveling rope
• watched the rescue party pass me by

Discussion: Different from “at the end of my tether” (see OED [a] above for distinction. Also sometimes thought to mean “I can’t take anymore.” I didn't address those here.