Is there a single correct preposition which should be used before "the bottom of", similar to "at the end of" (AFAIK "in the end" is only used by itself), or does it depend on the noun used after it? I used to think that "at the bottom of" was the only correct option, but recently an American told me that "in the bottom" is also correct when the position is inside a container. Examples:
- at/in the bottom of the sea (I always thought "in the bottom of the sea" was wrong, but today I found this children's song: https://redgrammer.com/index.php/theres-a-hole-in-the-bottom-of-the-sea-song.html)
- at the bottom of the page
- at/in the bottom of the cupboard/drawer/fridge/pocket
Is that correct? Also, is "on the bottom of" ever used?
Best Answer
If you have a bucket, you can have a hole "in" the bucket (in the metal of the bucket). If the bottom of the bucket has the hole you can say "There is a hole in the bottom of the bucket".
It is in this way that the song (humourously) says "Theres a hole in the bottom of the sea". It means "a hole in the rock that contains the sea". Normally "At the bottom of the sea" would be correct in most contexts.
Similarly you can say:
Think how these refer to different things. The second is talking about the wooden floor of the wardrobe, the first is talking about the lowest part of the space inside the wardrobe.
It is also possible to have "on the bottom"
(though "at the bottom" would also be possible here)