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
Altan-Turkish
Goronwy-Welsh, Welsh Mythology
Hikarihee-kah-ṙeeJapanese
Lysimachus-Ancient Greek (Latinized)
Soraya-Persian, Spanish, French
Anara-Kazakh, Kyrgyz