candle

bell, book, and candle

1. A method of putting a curse on someone. The phrase refers to the implements once used when someone was excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church. I'll go after him bell, book, and candle if he threatens my family again.

2. Items that are symbolic or indicative of the strange or miraculous. She's the type of person who will come over with bell, book, and candle to try to bring about positive changes in your life.

burn both ends of the candle

To overwork or exhaust oneself by doing too much of something or too many different things, especially by staying up late and getting up early to do so. Oh, Denise is definitely burning both ends of the candle—she's been getting to the office early and staying very late to work on some big project. You've got to stop burning both ends of the candle like this, or you're going to drive yourself to an early grave!

burn (one's)/the candle at both ends

To overwork or exhaust oneself by doing too many things, especially both late at night and early in the morning. Oh, Denise is definitely burning the candle at both ends—she's been getting to the office early and staying very late to work on some big project.

See also: both, burn, candle, end

candle in the wind

Something that is particularly vulnerable, weak, fragile, or precarious and likely to fail, perish, or be eliminated at any moment. The revolutionaries' bid for freedom is but a candle in the wind at this point, likely to be crushed by the dictator's regime. We all like to think we'll live forever, but we are really just candles in the wind.

candlelight

Another name for twilight. Be careful driving in candlelight—there might be deer on the road.

can't hold a candle to (someone or something)

Cannot compare to someone or something; is not nearly as good or desirable as someone or something. The sequel wasn't bad, but it can't hold a candle to the original. John's fast all right, but he can't hold a candle to Louise!

See also: candle, hold

doesn't hold a candle (to someone or something)

Is not nearly as good or desirable as someone or something else. The sequel wasn't bad, but compared to the original to the original, it just doesn't hold a candle. John's fast all right, but he doesn't hold a candle to Louise!

hold a candle to (someone or something)

To compare to someone or something; to be as good or desirable as someone or something. Often used in the negative to mean the opposite. I'm really surprised that the sequel even holds a candle to the original. John's fast all right, but he can't hold a candle to Louise!

See also: candle, hold

not fit to hold a candle to (someone or something)

Cannot compare to someone or something; is not nearly as good or desirable as someone or something. The sequel wasn't bad, but it's not fit to hold a candle to the original. John's fast all right, but he isn’t fit to hold a candle to Louise!

not hold a candle to (someone or something)

To not be nearly as good, desirable, or impressive as someone or something else. The sequel isn't too bad, but it doesn't hold a candle to the original. John's a nice enough guy, he just can't hold a candle our last supervisor.

not worth the candle

Said of an activity or undertaking whose outcome, product, or returns are not worth the time and resources that it requires. An allusion to gambling by candlelight, a significant expense at one point in time. If the winnings were not sufficient, then they didn't warrant the needless use of a candle. The local council considered the construction of a new power grid throughout the county, but because it would cost millions and only marginally increase efficiency compared to the current infrastructure, they decided that it wasn't worth the candle.

The game is not worth the candle.

proverb The outcome, product, or returns of this activity or undertaking are not worth the time and resources that it requires. An allusion to gambling by candlelight, a significant expense at one point in time. If the winnings were not sufficient, then they didn't warrant the needless use of a candle. The local council considered the construction of a new power grid throughout the county, but because it would cost millions and only marginally increase efficiency compared to the current infrastructure, they decided that the game wasn't worth the candle.

bell, book, and candle things that are miraculous or that signal that something

unusual or bizarre may soon happen. (Alluding originally to the items used when performing the rite of excommunication from the Roman Catholic Church.) Look, I can't work miracles! Do you expect me to show up at your house with bell, book, and candle, and make everything right? You have to take charge of your own destiny! On the top shelf of the tiny used-book store, Jim saw a bell, book, and candle sitting in a row, and he knew he was going to find some very interesting reading material.

See also: and, candle, miraculous, signal, that, thing

burn the candle at both ends

Fig. to work very hard and stay up very late at night. (One end of the candle is work done in the daylight, and the other end is work done at night.) No wonder Mary is ill. She has been burning the candle at both ends for a long time. You'll wear out if you keep burning the candle at both ends.

See also: both, burn, candle, end

can't hold a candle to someone

Fig. not [to be] equal to someone; unable to measure up to someone. (Also with cannot.) Mary can't hold a candle to Ann when it comes to athletics. As for singing, John can't hold a candle to Jane.

See also: candle, hold

not hold a stick to someone or something

and not hold a candle to someone or something

Fig. not to be nearly as good as someone or something. Sally is much faster than Bob. Bob doesn't hold a stick to Sally. This TV doesn't hold a candle to that one. That one is much better.

burn the candle at both ends

Exhaust one's energies or resources by leading a hectic life. For example, Joseph's been burning the candle at both ends for weeks, working two jobs during the week and a third on weekends . This metaphor originated in France and was translated into English in Randle Cotgrave's Dictionary (1611), where it referred to dissipating one's wealth. It soon acquired its present broader meaning.

See also: both, burn, candle, end

game is not worth the candle, the

The returns from an activity or enterprise do not warrant the time, money or effort required. For example, The office he is running for is so unimportant that the game's not worth the candle. This expression, which began as a translation of a term used by the French essayist Michel de Montaigne in 1580, alludes to gambling by candlelight, which involved the expense of illumination. If the winnings were not sufficient, they did not warrant the expense. Used figuratively, it was a proverb within a century.

hold a candle to, not

Also, not fit to or cannot hold a candle to. Be inferior to someone or something, as in This hotel can't hold a candle to the Palace, or This new friend of his is not fit to hold a candle to his former buddies. This expression was already a proverb in John Heywood's collection of 1546 and alludes to holding a candle to provide light for someone, at that time considered a menial chore.

burn the candle at both ends

If you burn the candle at both ends, you try to do too much, regularly going to bed late and getting up early in the morning. Try not to exhaust yourself by burning the candle at both ends. Frank seemed to delight in burning the candle at both ends. No matter how late he stayed out, he was up at five o'clock the next morning to study.

See also: both, burn, candle, end

can't hold a candle to someone/something

If you are comparing two people or things and you say that the first can't hold a candle to the second, you mean that the second is much better than the first. None of these teams can hold a candle to the sides led by Franz Beckenbauer in the early 70s. Newspapers, books and radio cannot hold a candle to television. Note: This expression suggests that the first person does not even deserve to hold a light to help the other person to see.

See also: candle, hold, someone, something

not worth the candle

BRITISH, OLD-FASHIONED

If something is not worth the candle, it is not worth the trouble or effort which is needed in order to achieve or obtain it. Harrison has described the reforms proposed by the governor as `not worth the candle'. Note: You can also talk about the game being worth the candle. He can boast that he married the richest woman in the world. But he must sometimes wonder whether the game was worth the candle. Note: This expression originally referred to a game of cards where the amount of money that people were competing for was less than the cost of the candle used up during the game.

bell, book, and candle

a formula for laying a curse on someone.

This expression alludes to the closing words of the rite of excommunication, ‘Do to the book, quench the candle, ring the bell’, meaning that the service book is closed, the candle put out, and the passing bell rung, as a sign of spiritual death.

burn the candle at both ends

1 lavish energy or resources in more than one direction at the same time. 2 go to bed late and get up early.

See also: both, burn, candle, end

cannot hold a candle to

be nowhere near as good as. informal

In the 16th century, an assistant would literally hold a candle to his superior by standing beside him with a candle to provide enough light for him to work by. The modern version suggests that the subordinate is so far inferior that he is unfit to perform even this humble task.

not worth the candle

not justifiable because of the trouble or cost involved.

The idea behind this idiom is that expenditure on a candle to provide light for an activity would not be recouped by the profits from that activity. The expression comes from the French phrase le jeu ne vaut pas la chandelle , ‘the game is not worth the candle’.

1998 New Scientist But what if, instead of one … five, fifteen or fifty people…have to endure such an existence? At what point does the game cease to be worth the candle?

burn the candle at both ˈends

make yourself very tired by doing too much, especially by going to bed late and getting up early: You look exhausted. Been burning the candle at both ends, have you?

See also: both, burn, candle, end

cannot hold a candle to somebody/something

(informal) is not as good as somebody or something else: She is a good player, but she can’t hold a candle to a champion like Jane. OPPOSITE: put somebody/something in the shadeIn the past, an assistant used to hold a candle for somebody more senior so that they could have light to do their work. This idiom implies that even this position is too good for the person mentioned.

See also: candle, cannot, hold, somebody, something

the ˌgame is not worth the ˈcandle

(old-fashioned, saying) something is not worth the effort needed: After trying to get permission to build the office for a whole year, we gave up, because the game was just not worth the candle.In the past, candles were used for light at night. If a game or an activity was not worth the cost of the candles required to light the room, it was not worth playing or doing.

candlelight

n. dusk; dawn. I’ll see you along about candlelight.

McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions

hold a candle to

To compare favorably with: This film doesn't hold a candle to his previous ones.

See also: candle, hold

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.

burn the candle at both ends, to (you can't)

To exhaust one’s energies or resources; to stay up late playing and rise early to work hard all day. This expression came into English in the seventeenth century from French (brusler la chandelle par les deux bouts) via Randle Cotgrave’s Dictionary (1611), which defined it as dissipating one’s material wealth. It soon acquired a more general meaning (“He consuming just like a candle on both ends, betwixt wine and women,” Richard Flecknoe, 1658) and appeared regularly enough so that Eric Partridge believed it was a cliché by the mid-eighteenth century. Though clichés usually are not the province of fine poetry, Edna St. Vincent Millay’s “First Fig” (1920) used this one: “My candle burns at both ends; It will not last the night; But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends—It gives a lovely light.”

game is not worth the candle, the

The undertaking does not warrant the time, effort, or expense involved. This expression originally was a translation of the French essayist Montaigne’s statement, “Le jeu ne vaut pas la chandelle” (1580), and found its way into John Ray’s proverb collection of 1678. In the days of candlelight illumination, it literally meant that the card game being played was not worth the cost of the candles used to light the proceedings. It soon was transferred to any undertaking and so persisted through the centuries.

hold a candle to, cannot/not fit to

To be vastly inferior to someone. Holding a candle for someone else was already considered a menial task in the sixteenth century. “Who that worst maie, shall holde the candell” appeared in John Heywood’s 1546 collection of proverbs, and “I be not worthy to hold a candle to Aristotle,” wrote Sir Edward Dering (1640). A rhyming example appears in John Byrom’s poetic account, On the Feud between Handel and Bononcini (1773): “Others aver that he to Handel is scarcely fit to hold the candle.”

See also: candle, cannot, fit, hold, not

The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer

burn the candle at both ends

Extreme effort without time to rest. The phrase, which came originally from a French expression, came to mean working so hard that you burn yourself out. In addition, because candles were once an expensive item, to burn one at both ends implied wasting valuable resources to achieve an obsession. The poet Edna St. Vincent Millay used the image in her verse: My candle burns at both ends; It will not last the night; But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends—It gives a lovely light

See also: both, burn, candle, end

Endangered Phrases by Steven D. Price

See also:

bell, book, and candle
bell, book, and candle things that are miraculous or that signal that
be out of (one's) league
be out of somebody's league
accompany (one) on a/(one's) journey
accompany on a journey
(one) puts (one's) pants on one leg at a time
a stranger to (someone or something)
be in bad with (someone)
be (not) a patch on

References in classic literature

In the outlying serfs' quarters torches and candles were burning and no one slept.

After a while he re-entered it as if to snuff the candles, and, seeing the prince was lying on the sofa, looked at him, noticed his perturbed face, shook his head, and going up to him silently kissed him on the shoulder and left the room without snuffing the candles or saying why he had entered.

War and Peace

He then took up one of the candles and relighted it by thrusting it into the fire.

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

The man fell to examining the masonry by the light of his candle. To his delight he discovered that the thin blocks of hewn stone of which it was constructed were fitted in loosely without mortar or cement.

Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar

At that moment the candle was suddenly extinguished, leaving all in profound darkness.

Can Such Things Be

Having so held and waved the candle as that all these heterogeneous objects seemed to come forward obediently when they were named, and then retire again, Mr Venus despondently repeats, 'Oh dear me, dear me!' resumes his seat, and with drooping despondency upon him, falls to pouring himself out more tea.

Our Mutual Friend

Consequently when he came up the staircase to bed, candle in hand, he came full upon her.

Little Dorrit

"Will you have the candles, ma'am?" she inquired, respectfully.

No Name

I put out the candle, and returned to the window in great perplexity.

Dead Men Tell No Tales

Having put her travelling-box of matches and the guide-book near the candle, in case she might be sleepless and might want to read, she blew out the light, and laid her head on the pillow.

The Haunted Hotel

We hung it with the gingerbread animals, strings of popcorn, and bits of candle which Fuchs had fitted into pasteboard sockets.

My Antonia

I see his monstrous back, deformed by the shadow thrown by the candle. He is no longer writing now, and the candle is on the parquet, over which he is bending--a position which serves my purpose.

The Mystery of the Yellow Room

"The King's garden is not the world, you foolish squib," said a big Roman Candle; "the world is an enormous place, and it would take you three days to see it thoroughly."

The Happy Prince and Other Tales

He lighted the candle and looked at the room more carefully.

Crime And Punishment

"Have you found any candles," asked Brown smiling, "among your oddities?"

The Innocence Of Father Brown

词组	candle
释义	candle bell, book, and candle 1. A method of putting a curse on someone. The phrase refers to the implements once used when someone was excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church. I'll go after him bell, book, and candle if he threatens my family again. 2. Items that are symbolic or indicative of the strange or miraculous. She's the type of person who will come over with bell, book, and candle to try to bring about positive changes in your life. See also: and, candle burn both ends of the candle To overwork or exhaust oneself by doing too much of something or too many different things, especially by staying up late and getting up early to do so. Oh, Denise is definitely burning both ends of the candle—she's been getting to the office early and staying very late to work on some big project. You've got to stop burning both ends of the candle like this, or you're going to drive yourself to an early grave! See also: both, burn, candle, end, of burn (one's)/the candle at both ends To overwork or exhaust oneself by doing too many things, especially both late at night and early in the morning. Oh, Denise is definitely burning the candle at both ends—she's been getting to the office early and staying very late to work on some big project. See also: both, burn, candle, end candle in the wind Something that is particularly vulnerable, weak, fragile, or precarious and likely to fail, perish, or be eliminated at any moment. The revolutionaries' bid for freedom is but a candle in the wind at this point, likely to be crushed by the dictator's regime. We all like to think we'll live forever, but we are really just candles in the wind. See also: candle, wind candlelight Another name for twilight. Be careful driving in candlelight—there might be deer on the road. can't hold a candle to (someone or something) Cannot compare to someone or something; is not nearly as good or desirable as someone or something. The sequel wasn't bad, but it can't hold a candle to the original. John's fast all right, but he can't hold a candle to Louise! See also: candle, hold doesn't hold a candle (to someone or something) Is not nearly as good or desirable as someone or something else. The sequel wasn't bad, but compared to the original to the original, it just doesn't hold a candle. John's fast all right, but he doesn't hold a candle to Louise! See also: candle, hold, someone hold a candle to (someone or something) To compare to someone or something; to be as good or desirable as someone or something. Often used in the negative to mean the opposite. I'm really surprised that the sequel even holds a candle to the original. John's fast all right, but he can't hold a candle to Louise! See also: candle, hold not fit to hold a candle to (someone or something) Cannot compare to someone or something; is not nearly as good or desirable as someone or something. The sequel wasn't bad, but it's not fit to hold a candle to the original. John's fast all right, but he isn’t fit to hold a candle to Louise! See also: candle, fit, hold, not not hold a candle to (someone or something) To not be nearly as good, desirable, or impressive as someone or something else. The sequel isn't too bad, but it doesn't hold a candle to the original. John's a nice enough guy, he just can't hold a candle our last supervisor. See also: candle, hold, not not worth the candle Said of an activity or undertaking whose outcome, product, or returns are not worth the time and resources that it requires. An allusion to gambling by candlelight, a significant expense at one point in time. If the winnings were not sufficient, then they didn't warrant the needless use of a candle. The local council considered the construction of a new power grid throughout the county, but because it would cost millions and only marginally increase efficiency compared to the current infrastructure, they decided that it wasn't worth the candle. See also: candle, not, worth The game is not worth the candle. proverb The outcome, product, or returns of this activity or undertaking are not worth the time and resources that it requires. An allusion to gambling by candlelight, a significant expense at one point in time. If the winnings were not sufficient, then they didn't warrant the needless use of a candle. The local council considered the construction of a new power grid throughout the county, but because it would cost millions and only marginally increase efficiency compared to the current infrastructure, they decided that the game wasn't worth the candle. See also: game, not, worth Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. bell, book, and candle things that are miraculous or that signal that something unusual or bizarre may soon happen. (Alluding originally to the items used when performing the rite of excommunication from the Roman Catholic Church.) Look, I can't work miracles! Do you expect me to show up at your house with bell, book, and candle, and make everything right? You have to take charge of your own destiny! On the top shelf of the tiny used-book store, Jim saw a bell, book, and candle sitting in a row, and he knew he was going to find some very interesting reading material. See also: and, candle, miraculous, signal, that, thing burn the candle at both ends Fig. to work very hard and stay up very late at night. (One end of the candle is work done in the daylight, and the other end is work done at night.) No wonder Mary is ill. She has been burning the candle at both ends for a long time. You'll wear out if you keep burning the candle at both ends. See also: both, burn, candle, end can't hold a candle to someone Fig. not [to be] equal to someone; unable to measure up to someone. (Also with cannot.) Mary can't hold a candle to Ann when it comes to athletics. As for singing, John can't hold a candle to Jane. See also: candle, hold not hold a stick to someone or something and not hold a candle to someone or something Fig. not to be nearly as good as someone or something. Sally is much faster than Bob. Bob doesn't hold a stick to Sally. This TV doesn't hold a candle to that one. That one is much better. See also: hold, not, stick McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. burn the candle at both ends Exhaust one's energies or resources by leading a hectic life. For example, Joseph's been burning the candle at both ends for weeks, working two jobs during the week and a third on weekends . This metaphor originated in France and was translated into English in Randle Cotgrave's Dictionary (1611), where it referred to dissipating one's wealth. It soon acquired its present broader meaning. See also: both, burn, candle, end game is not worth the candle, the The returns from an activity or enterprise do not warrant the time, money or effort required. For example, The office he is running for is so unimportant that the game's not worth the candle. This expression, which began as a translation of a term used by the French essayist Michel de Montaigne in 1580, alludes to gambling by candlelight, which involved the expense of illumination. If the winnings were not sufficient, they did not warrant the expense. Used figuratively, it was a proverb within a century. See also: game, not, worth hold a candle to, not Also, not fit to or cannot hold a candle to. Be inferior to someone or something, as in This hotel can't hold a candle to the Palace, or This new friend of his is not fit to hold a candle to his former buddies. This expression was already a proverb in John Heywood's collection of 1546 and alludes to holding a candle to provide light for someone, at that time considered a menial chore. See also: candle, hold, not The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. burn the candle at both ends If you burn the candle at both ends, you try to do too much, regularly going to bed late and getting up early in the morning. Try not to exhaust yourself by burning the candle at both ends. Frank seemed to delight in burning the candle at both ends. No matter how late he stayed out, he was up at five o'clock the next morning to study. See also: both, burn, candle, end can't hold a candle to someone/something If you are comparing two people or things and you say that the first can't hold a candle to the second, you mean that the second is much better than the first. None of these teams can hold a candle to the sides led by Franz Beckenbauer in the early 70s. Newspapers, books and radio cannot hold a candle to television. Note: This expression suggests that the first person does not even deserve to hold a light to help the other person to see. See also: candle, hold, someone, something not worth the candle BRITISH, OLD-FASHIONED If something is not worth the candle, it is not worth the trouble or effort which is needed in order to achieve or obtain it. Harrison has described the reforms proposed by the governor as `not worth the candle'. Note: You can also talk about the game being worth the candle. He can boast that he married the richest woman in the world. But he must sometimes wonder whether the game was worth the candle. Note: This expression originally referred to a game of cards where the amount of money that people were competing for was less than the cost of the candle used up during the game. See also: candle, not, worth Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. bell, book, and candle a formula for laying a curse on someone. This expression alludes to the closing words of the rite of excommunication, ‘Do to the book, quench the candle, ring the bell’, meaning that the service book is closed, the candle put out, and the passing bell rung, as a sign of spiritual death. See also: and, candle burn the candle at both ends 1 lavish energy or resources in more than one direction at the same time. 2 go to bed late and get up early. See also: both, burn, candle, end cannot hold a candle to be nowhere near as good as. informal In the 16th century, an assistant would literally hold a candle to his superior by standing beside him with a candle to provide enough light for him to work by. The modern version suggests that the subordinate is so far inferior that he is unfit to perform even this humble task. See also: candle, cannot, hold not worth the candle not justifiable because of the trouble or cost involved. The idea behind this idiom is that expenditure on a candle to provide light for an activity would not be recouped by the profits from that activity. The expression comes from the French phrase le jeu ne vaut pas la chandelle , ‘the game is not worth the candle’. 1998 New Scientist But what if, instead of one … five, fifteen or fifty people…have to endure such an existence? At what point does the game cease to be worth the candle? See also: candle, not, worth Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary burn the candle at both ˈends make yourself very tired by doing too much, especially by going to bed late and getting up early: You look exhausted. Been burning the candle at both ends, have you? See also: both, burn, candle, end cannot hold a candle to somebody/something (informal) is not as good as somebody or something else: She is a good player, but she can’t hold a candle to a champion like Jane. OPPOSITE: put somebody/something in the shadeIn the past, an assistant used to hold a candle for somebody more senior so that they could have light to do their work. This idiom implies that even this position is too good for the person mentioned. See also: candle, cannot, hold, somebody, something the ˌgame is not worth the ˈcandle (old-fashioned, saying) something is not worth the effort needed: After trying to get permission to build the office for a whole year, we gave up, because the game was just not worth the candle.In the past, candles were used for light at night. If a game or an activity was not worth the cost of the candles required to light the room, it was not worth playing or doing. See also: candle, game, not, worth Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary candlelight n. dusk; dawn. I’ll see you along about candlelight. McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions hold a candle to To compare favorably with: This film doesn't hold a candle to his previous ones. See also: candle, hold American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. burn the candle at both ends, to (you can't) To exhaust one’s energies or resources; to stay up late playing and rise early to work hard all day. This expression came into English in the seventeenth century from French (brusler la chandelle par les deux bouts) via Randle Cotgrave’s Dictionary (1611), which defined it as dissipating one’s material wealth. It soon acquired a more general meaning (“He consuming just like a candle on both ends, betwixt wine and women,” Richard Flecknoe, 1658) and appeared regularly enough so that Eric Partridge believed it was a cliché by the mid-eighteenth century. Though clichés usually are not the province of fine poetry, Edna St. Vincent Millay’s “First Fig” (1920) used this one: “My candle burns at both ends; It will not last the night; But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends—It gives a lovely light.” See also: both, burn, candle game is not worth the candle, the The undertaking does not warrant the time, effort, or expense involved. This expression originally was a translation of the French essayist Montaigne’s statement, “Le jeu ne vaut pas la chandelle” (1580), and found its way into John Ray’s proverb collection of 1678. In the days of candlelight illumination, it literally meant that the card game being played was not worth the cost of the candles used to light the proceedings. It soon was transferred to any undertaking and so persisted through the centuries. See also: game, not, worth hold a candle to, cannot/not fit to To be vastly inferior to someone. Holding a candle for someone else was already considered a menial task in the sixteenth century. “Who that worst maie, shall holde the candell” appeared in John Heywood’s 1546 collection of proverbs, and “I be not worthy to hold a candle to Aristotle,” wrote Sir Edward Dering (1640). A rhyming example appears in John Byrom’s poetic account, On the Feud between Handel and Bononcini (1773): “Others aver that he to Handel is scarcely fit to hold the candle.” See also: candle, cannot, fit, hold, not The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer burn the candle at both ends Extreme effort without time to rest. The phrase, which came originally from a French expression, came to mean working so hard that you burn yourself out. In addition, because candles were once an expensive item, to burn one at both ends implied wasting valuable resources to achieve an obsession. The poet Edna St. Vincent Millay used the image in her verse: My candle burns at both ends; It will not last the night; But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends—It gives a lovely light See also: both, burn, candle, end Endangered Phrases by Steven D. Price See also: bell, book, and candle bell, book, and candle things that are miraculous or that signal that be out of (one's) league be out of somebody's league accompany (one) on a/(one's) journey accompany on a journey (one) puts (one's) pants on one leg at a time a stranger to (someone or something) be in bad with (someone) be (not) a patch on References in classic literature In the outlying serfs' quarters torches and candles were burning and no one slept. After a while he re-entered it as if to snuff the candles, and, seeing the prince was lying on the sofa, looked at him, noticed his perturbed face, shook his head, and going up to him silently kissed him on the shoulder and left the room without snuffing the candles or saying why he had entered. War and Peace He then took up one of the candles and relighted it by thrusting it into the fire. The Tenant of Wildfell Hall The man fell to examining the masonry by the light of his candle. To his delight he discovered that the thin blocks of hewn stone of which it was constructed were fitted in loosely without mortar or cement. Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar At that moment the candle was suddenly extinguished, leaving all in profound darkness. Can Such Things Be Having so held and waved the candle as that all these heterogeneous objects seemed to come forward obediently when they were named, and then retire again, Mr Venus despondently repeats, 'Oh dear me, dear me!' resumes his seat, and with drooping despondency upon him, falls to pouring himself out more tea. Our Mutual Friend Consequently when he came up the staircase to bed, candle in hand, he came full upon her. Little Dorrit "Will you have the candles, ma'am?" she inquired, respectfully. No Name I put out the candle, and returned to the window in great perplexity. Dead Men Tell No Tales Having put her travelling-box of matches and the guide-book near the candle, in case she might be sleepless and might want to read, she blew out the light, and laid her head on the pillow. The Haunted Hotel We hung it with the gingerbread animals, strings of popcorn, and bits of candle which Fuchs had fitted into pasteboard sockets. My Antonia I see his monstrous back, deformed by the shadow thrown by the candle. He is no longer writing now, and the candle is on the parquet, over which he is bending--a position which serves my purpose. The Mystery of the Yellow Room "The King's garden is not the world, you foolish squib," said a big Roman Candle; "the world is an enormous place, and it would take you three days to see it thoroughly." The Happy Prince and Other Tales He lighted the candle and looked at the room more carefully. Crime And Punishment "Have you found any candles," asked Brown smiling, "among your oddities?" The Innocence Of Father Brown
随便看	blanket fever blanket (someone or something) with (something) blanket term blanket with blank look on (one's) face blank on blank on (something) blank out blare out blarney blast blast away blasted blaster blasters blast off blast off for (somewhere) blast off for somewhere blast (someone or something) to kingdom come blast to smithereens blaze blaze a/the trail blaze a trail blaze a trail, to blaze away