up to snuff

up to snuff

As good as what was expected, required, or demanded; satisfactory or adequate. A: "How's your dinner?" B: "It's up to snuff with this place's usual standard." It's nice to see that Jenny's work is up to snuff again lately.

See also: snuff, to, up

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

up to snuff

 and up to scratch

Fig. as good as is required; meeting the minimum requirements. Sorry, Tom. Your performance isn't up to snuff. You'll have to improve or find another job. My paper wasn't up to scratch, so I got an F.

See also: snuff, to, up

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

up to snuff

BRITISH, OLD-FASHIONED

If something or someone is up to snuff, they are as good as they should be or as they normally are. The technology in these companies simply isn't up to snuff. Note: You can also say that you bring or get someone or something up to snuff or that someone or something comes up to snuff. The hamburgers didn't come up to snuff.

See also: snuff, to, up

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012

up to snuff

1 up to the required standard. 2 in good health. informal

See also: snuff, to, up

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

up to ˈsnuff

(informal) of the required standard or quality; in good health: Many people believe that the new senator is not up to snuff politically. ♢ I haven’t felt up to snuff for several weeks.

See also: snuff, to, up

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

up to snuff

verb

See up to scratch

See also: snuff, to, up

McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

up to snuff

Informal

1. Normal in health.

2. Up to standard; adequate.

See also: snuff, to, up

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

up to snuff

Satisfactory in performance, health, or some other respect. This term, which probably has something to do with the once popular habit of taking snuff, dates from at least 1800, but its origin has been lost. “He knows well enough the game we’re after; zooks he’s up to snuff,” wrote John Poole in his play Hamlet Travestie (1811), meaning that the character was wide awake and sharp. “Up to snuff, and a pinch or two over,” wrote Dickens (Pickwick Papers, 1836), meaning that something was more than satisfactory. Along with the use of snuff, the term may be dying out.

See also: snuff, to, up

The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer