hold a candle

== English == === Etymology === From the custom of apprentices to a master holding a candle so that the master could see more clearly. The negative version implies that a person who was not fit even for such a simple task was worthless. === Pronunciation === enPR: hōld′ ə kăn′dəl (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): (contemporary) /ˌhəʊ̯ld ə ˈkan.dəl/, (conservative) /ˌhəʊ̯ld ə ˈkæn.dəl/ (General American, Canada) IPA(key): /ˌhoʊ̯ld ə ˈkæn.dəl/ (General Australian) IPA(key): /ˌhəʉ̯ld ə ˈkæn.dəl/ (New Zealand) IPA(key): /ˌhɐʉ̯ld ə ˈkɛn.dəl/ (Scotland) IPA(key): /ˌhold ə ˈkan.dəl/ (India) IPA(key): /ˌhoːlɖ a ˈkan.ɖel/ Hyphenation: hold a can‧dle === Verb === hold a candle (third-person singular simple present holds a candle, present participle holding a candle, simple past and past participle held a candle) (chiefly in the negative) To compare; to be even remotely of the same quality, skill, etc. as another. [with to] [from mid 16th c.] The old computer just doesn't hold a candle to the latest models. ==== Related terms ==== hold a candle for ==== Translations ==== === References === === Further reading === “not hold a candle to” (US) / “not hold a candle to” (UK) in Macmillan English Dictionary. Christine Ammer (2013), “hold a candle to, not”, in American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms, second edition, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, →ISBN, page 213, column 2. “hold a candle”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.