not up to scratch and not up to snuff

not up to scratch

Not acceptable or satisfactory; not as good as what was expected, required, or demanded. Your papers have been very good all semester, but, frankly, this one is not up to scratch. A: "How's your dinner?" B: "It's really not up to scratch with this place's usual standard."

See also: not, scratch, to, up

not up to snuff

Not acceptable or satisfactory; not attaining a particular standard. Your papers have been very good all semester, but, frankly, this one is not up to snuff. A: "How's your dinner?" B: "It's really not up to snuff with this place's usual standard."

See also: not, snuff, to, up

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

not up to scratch and not up to snuff

Fig. not adequate. Sorry, your paper isn't up to scratch. Please do it over again. The performance was not up to snuff.

See also: and, not, scratch, snuff, to, up

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.