hold a candle to, not

Idioms and Phrases

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.