can't hold a candle to (someone or something)
Cannot compare to someone or something; is not nearly as good or desirable as someone or something. The sequel wasn't bad, but it can't hold a candle to the original. John's fast all right, but he can't hold a candle to Louise! I'm sorry, but today's architecture can't hold a candle to mid-century modern.
not fit to hold a candle to (someone or something)
Cannot compare to someone or something; is not nearly as good or desirable as someone or something. The sequel wasn't bad, but it's not fit to hold a candle to the original. John's fast all right, but he isn’t fit to hold a candle to Louise!
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
hold a candle to, not
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.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.