To be highly inferior, to be substandard in a certain skill
Etymology:
- In the 16th century, a servant called as a “linkboy” held candles for people during the days of good lighting. This was an ordinary job assigned to poor or inferior ones. If linkboy didn’t know the route and direction of roads, he was called to be “not able to hold a candle to someone”. Thus, this idiom came into practice to refer the lower in rank people.
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Submitted on February 25, 2019
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Nearby phrases
Some more phrases from our dictionary similar to Can't Hold a Candle To
even a blind pig can find an acorn once…can't standdo you think you can walkCan't Get Blood from a Stonecandle in the windcan of wormscatch-as-catch-cancan you hear me looking at youcan of wormscan't do right for doing wrongcan't see the forest for the treesdon't hold your breathcarry the cancan't get enough
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"Can't Hold a Candle To." Phrases.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 4 Dec. 2024. <https://www.phrases.com/phrase/cant-hold-a-candle-to_44541>.
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