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.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON AFFECT VS. EFFECT!
In effect, this quiz will prove whether or not you have the skills to know the difference between “affect” and “effect.”
Question 1 of 7
The rainy weather could not ________ my elated spirits on my graduation day.
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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