SSC CGL 2025 PYQ — Question 23

SSC CGL - 17 Sep 2025 - Shift 2 • English • Q23

Choose the correct meaning of idiom:
Not fit to hold a candle to

Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: C

Explanation

The correct answer is Option 3 i.e. Greatly inferior to.

Meaning of the idiom:

  • Not fit to hold a candle to: To be significantly lower in quality, skill, or importance than someone or something else; to be greatly inferior to another.

Origin/Context: This expression dates back to a time before electricity, when a less skilled assistant or apprentice would be expected to hold a candle to provide light for a master craftsman while they worked. If someone was "not fit" even to hold the candle, it meant they were not even capable of performing the most basic task of assistance, highlighting a vast gap in ability.

Correct meaning: Greatly inferior to

Final Sentence: As a violinist, the young student is talented, but he is not fit to hold a candle to his world-renowned mentor.

Hence, the chosen option is correct.