What does "up to scratch" mean?
up to scratch, (to come/be) An adequate performance ; satisfactory. The word “scratch” alludes to a line or mark used in several sports (see also start from scratch). In early nineteenth-century boxing a rule was introduced that after a knockdown and a thirty-second wait, a fighter had eight seconds to make his way to a mark scratched in ...
Who said "If they won't come up to scratch you can always get hold of the ringleaders"
The term was used literally by William Hazlitt in an 1822 essay on boxing and began to be used figuratively about the same time. George Orwell had it in Burmese Days (1934): “If they won’t come up to scratch you can always get hold of the ringleaders and give them a good bambooing.”. See also: come, to, up.
What does "come up to scratch" mean?
To be or become as good as what was expected, required, or demanded; to become satisfactory or adequate. Often used in negative constructions. Sarah, the new assistant you hired is dreadful. If he doesn't come up to scratch soon, he'll need to be replaced. I'm afraid your last report didn't come up to scratch. You'll need to start doing a lot better.
Who said "If they won't come up to scratch you can always get hold of the ringleaders"
The term was used literally by William Hazlitt in an 1822 essay on boxing and began to be used figuratively about the same time. George Orwell had it in Burmese Days (1934): “If they won’t come up to scratch you can always get hold of the ringleaders and give them a good bambooing.”. See also: come, to, up.
How many seconds does a boxer have to scratch a mark?
In early nineteenth-century boxing a rule was introduced that after a knockdown and a thirty-second wait, a fighter had eight seconds to make his way to a mark scratched in the center of the ring; if he could not do so without help, he was considered defeated.
Who said "up to snuff"?
But on to "up to snuff": the phrase is spoken in Hamlet Travestie by Hamlet's friend Guildenstern, who, along with pal Rosencrantz, has been called from afar to suss out the batty-seeming Hamlet's state of mind. The King asks if they've got a sense of why Hamlet is so depressed. According to Rosencrantz, Hamlet admits he's not feeling quite sane ...
Where does the word "snuf" come from?
The English word comes from the Dutch, who referred to such powdered tobacco as snuf, short for snuftabak, itself from snuffen, meaning "to draw forcibly through or into the nostrils; to snuff," and tabak, meaning "tobacco.".
What does "up to snuff" mean?
In this company's 1864 Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, "up to snuff" is labeled "colloquial" and defined as "not likely to be imposed upon; knowing; acute; alert.". In the next edition of that dictionary, published in 1909, the phrase is labeled "slang" and glossed as "not easily deceived : worldly-wise.".
Who inspired Poole to write Hamlet?
Poole was inspired, apparently, by the Bard. We don't know how he felt about the phrase "shuffled off this mortal coil," but we do know that he had some interest in Hamlet, the play in which that phrase originates, because Poole took it upon himself to write a little burlesque of the famous tragedy.
Who is the fool Poole's Johnson suggests?
Or does "up to snuff" in fact, as Poole's Johnson says, describe someone who perceives or understands something, that is, who is " in the know "? In the end it seems "Warburton" is the fool "Johnson" suggests.
When was snuff invented?
People in Poole's part of the world had been introduced to snuff in the 16th century, when the New-World practice of inhaling a preparation of tobacco started to become popular in Europe.
Where did the term "from scratch" come from?
5. It appears the term "from scratch" can be earliest derived from foot races, followed by other sporting events. Where the starting line was literally scratched onto the ground. There is even mention of it being use as a term in for a golfer who does not have a handicap.
What is scratch in cycling?
Scratch later came to be used as the name of any starting point for a race. The term came to be used in 'handicap' races where weaker entrants were given a head start. For example, in cycling those who were given no advantage had the handicap of 'starting from scratch', while others started ahead of the line.
What does scratch mean in cricket?
He writes for "start from scratch": 'Scratch' has been used since the 18th century as a sporting term for a boundary or starting point which was scratched on the ground. The first such scratch was the crease which is a boundary line for batsmen in cricket. John Nyren's Young Cricketer's Tutor, 1833 records this line from a 1778 work by Cotton:
