Re: Up to snuff
Posted by Bruce
Kahl on September 10, 2002
In Reply to: Up
to snuff posted by guy andrews on September 10, 2002
: Can
anybody help me find the origin of this expression,"up to snuff?" thanks
Here
is a paste from the Word Detective:
"Up to snuff," meaning "satisfactory" or
"measuring up to the required standard" turns out to be quite an interesting phrase.
First of all, "snuff" all by itself is an intriguing word, or should I say "words,"
because there are really two different "snuffs." The older "snuff," of unknown
origin and dating back to the 14th century, meant the burnt part of a candle wick.
As a verb, this "snuff" meant "to extinguish a candle" and it is from this sense
that we get our modern metaphor of "snuffing" someone's hopes (or, in slang, actually
expunging the person).
The other kind of "snuff," meaning powdered tobacco
inhaled through the nostrils, came along a bit later, in the 1680's. The root
of this "snuff" was probably the verb "to snuff," meaning to draw up into the
nose (think back to your last "snuffling" head cold), and it apparently began
as an abbreviation of the Dutch word "snuiftabak," or snuffing tobacco. "Taking
snuff" was a popular habit in Europe for hundreds of years, so its not surprising
that it showed up in a metaphor for "satisfactory" or "usual." What remains a
little unclear about "up to snuff" is whether the phrase refers to a level of
acceptable quality of snuff itself, or to the wide-awake and perky attitude of
someone who has just taken snuff.
- Re: Up to snuff ESC
09/10/02 (0)
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