hold a candle to, not
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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.
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Words nearby hold a candle to, not
Holbein, Holberg, Holbrook, HOLC, hold, hold a candle to, not, hold against, hold a grudge, hold a gun to someone's head, holdall, hold all the aces
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
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