hold a candle to, not



hold a candle to, not

Also, not fit to or cannot hold a candle to. Be inferior to someone or something, as in This hotel can't hold a candle to the Palace, or This new friend of his is not fit to hold a candle to his former buddies. This expression was already a proverb in John Heywood's collection of 1546 and alludes to holding a candle to provide light for someone, at that time considered a menial chore.
See also: candle, hold, not

Common Names:

NameGenderPronouncedUsage
Asdrubal-Spanish
Natalienat-a-LEE (French), NAT-ə-lee (English), NAH-tah-lee (German)French, English, German
Viorel-Romanian
SjengSHENGLimburgish
Tabita-Biblical Latin
Khulan-Mongolian