Chrysti The Wordsmith: Can't Hold A Candle To

Greetings I'm Christie the wordsmith. In an August 1999 New York Times sports article golfer Nick Price commented on his game against Tiger Woods at the Firestone Country Club in Akron Ohio. I may be an above average in length hitters said Nick Price about his abilities. But I can't hold a candle to Tiger Woods here golfer Pryce used a well-worn verbal formula to express his feelings of inferiority. I can't hold a candle to Tiger Woods he said. The price was talking about his abilities in the modern game of golf. The phrase he selected alludes to a long obsolete London Street occupation involving logically enough candle holding navigating the dark streets of pre electrified European cities was treacherous business. Children were often hired to carry torches or candles to light the path of a late night reveller or theatregoer called Link boys from link an old word for torch. These children were either too young or too simple

to have developed any skill but candle holding a link boy who couldn't successfully assist his employer to navigate a darkened city street by candlelight was unable to hold a candle to anyone and was therefore considered the least of his dishonorable caste. The derived expression can't hold a candle to meaning immeasurably inferior to is about five centuries old with its first citation in 16 15. I'm Christie the wordsmith. Good Dave herbivores Christie the wordsmith is sponsored by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Zoot enterprises. A high tech firm in Bozeman Montana offering challenging careers and innovative solutions for the financial services industry. Zoot web dot com.