Doesn’t hold a candle?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="sentence">sentence</span>; <span word="particularly">particularly</span> “<span word="hold">hold</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="candle">candle</span>”:</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="Tundra">Tundra</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="half">half</span>-<span word="ton">ton</span> <span word="truck">truck</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="feels">feels</span> <span word="almost">almost</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="par">par</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="engine">engine</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="comes">comes</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="hauling">hauling</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Toyota">Toyota</span> <span word="doesn">doesn</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="hold">hold</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="candle">candle</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="truck">truck</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="fuel">fuel</span> <span word="usage">usage</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="taken">taken</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="account">account</span>.</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="This">This</span> <span word="means">means</span> <span word="that">that</span> “<span word="this">this</span> <span word="truck">truck</span>”, <span word="whatever">whatever</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span>, <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="superior">superior</span> <span word="half">half</span>-<span word="ton">ton</span> <span word="truck">truck</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Toyota">Toyota</span> <span word="Tundra">Tundra</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="Tundra">Tundra</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="almost">almost</span> <span word="match">match</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="unspecified">unspecified</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="terms">terms</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="hauling">hauling</span>, <span word="but">but</span> <span word="can">can</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="compare">compare</span> <span word="to">to</span> “<span word="this">this</span> <span word="truck">truck</span>” <span word="in">in</span> <span word="fuel">fuel</span> <span word="efficiency">efficiency</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="fact">fact</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="doesn">doesn</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="hold">hold</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="candle">candle</span>, <span word="meaning">meaning</span> <span word="it">it</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="far">far</span> <span word="inferior">inferior</span>.</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="proper">proper</span> <span word="idiom">idiom</span> <span word="is">is</span> “<span word="cannot">cannot</span> <span word="hold">hold</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="handle">handle</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="someone">someone</span>”, <span word="meaning">meaning</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="latter">latter</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="much">much</span> <span word="better">better</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="particular">particular</span> <span word="job">job</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="task">task</span>.</p><p>“<span word="Hold">Hold</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="candle">candle</span>”, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="see">see</span>, <span word="probably">probably</span> <span word="refers">refers</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="age">age</span>-<span word="old">old</span> <span word="practice">practice</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="apprentice">apprentice</span> <span word="holding">holding</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="candle">candle</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="give">give</span> <span word="light">light</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="master">master</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="get">get</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="work">work</span> <span word="done">done</span> <span word="during">during</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="night">night</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="apprentice">apprentice</span> <span word="cannot">cannot</span> <span word="match">match</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="master">master</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="terms">terms</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="skills">skills</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="technique">technique</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="always">always</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="apprentice">apprentice</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="less">less</span> <span word="skillful">skillful</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="holds">holds</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="candle">candle</span>.</p><p><span word="Now">Now</span>, <span word="by">by</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="analogy">analogy</span>, <span word="if">if</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="cannot">cannot</span> <span word="even">even</span> <span word="hold">hold</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="candle">candle</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="someone">someone</span>, <span word="you">you</span> <span word="cannot">cannot</span> <span word="compare">compare</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="all">all</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="explaining">explaining</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="idiom">idiom</span>, <span word="Phrase">Phrase</span>.<span word="uk">uk</span>.<span word="org">org</span> <span word="gave">gave</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="William">William</span> <span word="Norris">Norris</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="No">No</span> <span word="New">New</span> <span word="Thing">Thing</span> (1883), <span word="as">as</span> <span word="follows">follows</span>:</p><p>“<span word="Edith">Edith</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="pretty">pretty</span>, <span word="very">very</span> <span word="pretty">pretty</span>; <span word="but">but</span> <span word="she">she</span> <span word="can">can</span>’<span word="t">t</span> <span word="hold">hold</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="candle">candle</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="Nellie">Nellie</span>.”</p><p><span word="So">So</span>, <span word="Edith">Edith</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="Nellie">Nellie</span>, <span word="who">who</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="prettier">prettier</span> <span word="one">one</span>?</p>
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