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
KeevaKEE-vaIrish
Crocettakro-CHET-tahItalian
Alhazen
Hallvar&Eth;R-Ancient Scandinavian
Lucy['lu:si]
PinoPEE-noItalian