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.
- 74 Views
“
Mike can’t hold a candle to Sara when it comes to a typing speed.
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
can we saycan of wormsCan't Hit the Side of a Barncan't put the words back into one&…faith can move mountainscatch as catch cancandle in the windcan't see the forest for the treescan't do right for doing wrongcan you help meeven a blind pig can find an acorn once…can't get enoughcan of corncan't help
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"Can't Hold a Candle To." Phrases.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 21 Dec. 2024. <https://www.phrases.com/phrase/cant-hold-a-candle-to_44541>.
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