snuff

Related to snuff: snuff film

be not up to snuff

To not be as good as what is expected, required, or demanded; to not be satisfactory or adequate. Jim, I know you've been going through a tough time since your wife passed, but these reports just aren't up to snuff. I used to eat there all the time, but to be honest, their food hasn't been up to snuff recently.
See also: not, snuff, up

not up to scratch

Not acceptable or satisfactory; not attaining a particular standard. Your papers have been very good all semester, but, frankly, this one is not up to scratch.
See also: not, scratch, up

not up to snuff

Not acceptable or satisfactory; not attaining a particular standard. Your papers have been very good all semester, but, frankly, this one is not up to snuff.
See also: not, snuff, up

snuff (one)

slang To kill one. He was planning on going to the police, but the criminals snuffed him before he had the chance. Tragically, he was snuffed in his prime by cancer.
See also: snuff

snuff film

A film that shows the actual murder or death of a person. Although snuff films are illegal, they are still widely circulated on the black market. The death scenes were so realistic that the director and producers were actually arrested at one point for making a snuff film.
See also: film, snuff

snuff it

To die, break down, or become defunct. We all snuff it eventually, so we might as well enjoy the time we have. I drove that truck everywhere for 25 years, but it finally snuffed it completely yesterday.
See also: snuff

snuff movie

A film that shows the actual murder or death of a person. Although snuff movies are illegal, they are still widely circulated on the black market.
See also: movie, snuff

snuff out

1. To extinguish something, especially a flame. A noun or pronoun can be used between "snuff" and "out." She snuffed the flame of the candle out between her fingers. The system uses halon gas to snuff out fire before it has a chance to spread.
2. To put a sudden and conclusive end to something. A noun or pronoun can be used between "snuff" and "out." That loss snuffs out their chances of making it to the playoffs.
3. To kill someone. A noun or pronoun can be used between "snuff" and "out." He was planning on going to the police, but the criminals snuffed him out before he had the chance. Tragically, he was snuffed out in his prime by cancer.
See also: out, snuff

up to par

As good as what was expected, required, or demanded; satisfactory or adequate. A: "How's your dinner?" B: "It's up to par with this place's usual standard." It's nice to see that Jenny's work is up to par again lately.
See also: par, up

up to scratch

As good as what was expected, required, or demanded; satisfactory or adequate. A: "How's your dinner?" B: "It's up to scratch with this place's usual standard." It's nice to see that Jenny's work is up to scratch again lately.
See also: scratch, up

up to snuff

As good as what was expected, required, or demanded; satisfactory or adequate. A: "How's your dinner?" B: "It's up to snuff with this place's usual standard." It's nice to see that Jenny's work is up to snuff again lately.
See also: snuff, up
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

not up to scratch and not up to snuff

Fig. not adequate. Sorry, your paper isn't up to scratch. Please do it over again. The performance was not up to snuff.
See also: and, not, scratch, snuff, up

snuff someone out

Sl. to kill someone. Max really wanted to snuff the eyewiteness out, once and for all. Lefty wanted to snuff out his partner.
See also: out, snuff

snuff something out

to extinguish something, such as a flame. she snuffed all the candles out and went to bed. Karen snuffed out the flames one by one.
See also: out, snuff

up to par

Fig. as good as the standard or average; up to standard. I'm just not feeling up to par today. I must be coming down with something. The manager said that the report was not up to par and gave it back to Mary to do over again.
See also: par, up

up to snuff

 and up to scratch
Fig. as good as is required; meeting the minimum requirements. Sorry, Tom. Your performance isn't up to snuff. You'll have to improve or find another job. My paper wasn't up to scratch, so I got an F.
See also: snuff, up
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

snuff out

1. Extinguish, put a sudden end to, as in Three young lives were snuffed out in that automobile accident. This usage alludes to snuff in the sense of "put out a candle by pinching the wick," an area itself called snuff from the late 1300s on. [Mid-1800s]
2. Kill, murder, as in If he told the police, the gang would snuff him out. [Slang; first half of 1900s]
3. Also, snuff it. Die or be killed, as in He looked very ill indeed, as though he might snuff out any day, or Grandpa just snuffed it. [Slang; second half of 1800s]
See also: out, snuff

up to par

Also, up to scratch or snuff or speed or the mark . Satisfactory, up to a given standard, as in She didn't feel up to par today so she stayed home, or I'm sure he'll come up to scratch when the time comes, or She's up to snuff again. Nearly all the versions of this idiom come from sports, par from golf, scratch and mark from boxing (after being knocked down a fighter had eight seconds to make his way to a mark scratched in the center of the ring), and speed from racing. However, the allusion in the variant with snuff, which dates from the early 1800s, has been lost.
See also: par, up
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

not up to scratch

COMMON If something or someone is not up to scratch, they are not good enough. If the service isn't up to scratch, the customer gets his money back. Athletes have no one to blame but themselves if their performances are not up to scratch. Parents were complaining that one of the teachers wasn't up to scratch. Note: You can say that someone or something does not come up to scratch. The Home Secretary wants better methods for dealing with police officers who do not come up to scratch. Note: You can also say that you bring someone or something up to scratch. We had to work hard on the apartment to bring it up to scratch. Note: In the past, boxers started a fight with their left feet on a line drawn on the ground, known as the scratch. When a boxer was knocked down, they were allowed thirty seconds' rest before coming `up to the scratch' once more. A boxer who was not at the line in time lost the fight.
See also: not, scratch, up

up to snuff

BRITISH, OLD-FASHIONED
If something or someone is up to snuff, they are as good as they should be or as they normally are. The technology in these companies simply isn't up to snuff. Note: You can also say that you bring or get someone or something up to snuff or that someone or something comes up to snuff. The hamburgers didn't come up to snuff.
See also: snuff, up
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

up to par

at an expected or usual level or quality.
1989 Randall Kenan A Visitation of Spirits Why not him? Did he not look okay? Did he smell bad? Have bad breath? Were his clothes not up to par?
See also: par, up

up to scratch

up to the required standard; satisfactory.
See also: scratch, up

up to snuff

1 up to the required standard. 2 in good health. informal
See also: snuff, up
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

up to ˈscratch

at the good standard that is expected or needed: The level of safety in our power stations must be brought up to scratch. If he doesn’t come up to scratch, get rid of him.This expression comes from boxing: the line in the ring which the boxers have to come to when they start to fight is called the scratch.
See also: scratch, up

ˈsnuff it

(British English, slang, humorous) die: Old Jack was over 90 when he snuffed it.
See also: snuff

up to ˈsnuff

(informal) of the required standard or quality; in good health: Many people believe that the new senator is not up to snuff politically. I haven’t felt up to snuff for several weeks.
See also: snuff, up
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

snuff out

v.
1. To extinguish something: The altar server snuffed out the candles. I saw her snuff a match out with her fingers.
2. To put a sudden end to something: The war has snuffed out many young lives. I had a promising career as a dancer, but a tragic injury snuffed it out.
3. Slang To kill someone; murder someone: The police accused the widow of snuffing out her husband. The gangsters snuffed him out before he could testify in court.
See also: out, snuff
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.

snuff film

n. a film that records an actual death or killing. Some of these snuff films have a loyal following of real sickies.
See also: film, snuff

snuff it

tv. to die. The cat leapt straight up in the air and snuffed it.
See also: snuff

snuff someone (out)

tv. to kill someone. Max really wanted to snuff the eyewitness out, once and for all.
See also: out, snuff, someone

snuff someone

verb
See snuff someone out
See also: snuff, someone

up to scratch

and up to snuff
mod. satisfactory; up to what is expected. (Colloquial. Snuff is related in some way to tobacco. Scratch may allude to the starting or finish line in a contest.) We felt that the entertainment was not up to scratch. The food was up to snuff, but the hotel staff was not at its usually efficient best.
See also: scratch, up

up to snuff

verb
See up to scratch
See also: snuff, up
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions

up to scratch

Informal
1. Meeting the requirements.
2. In fit condition.
See also: scratch, up

up to snuff

Informal
1. Normal in health.
2. Up to standard; adequate.
See also: snuff, up
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.

up to snuff

Satisfactory in performance, health, or some other respect. This term, which probably has something to do with the once popular habit of taking snuff, dates from at least 1800, but its origin has been lost. “He knows well enough the game we’re after; zooks he’s up to snuff,” wrote John Poole in his play Hamlet Travestie (1811), meaning that the character was wide awake and sharp. “Up to snuff, and a pinch or two over,” wrote Dickens (Pickwick Papers, 1836), meaning that something was more than satisfactory. Along with the use of snuff, the term may be dying out.
See also: snuff, up
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer

up to scratch

Meets the standards. In the days of bare-knuckle fighting, bouts took place within a large circle drawn on the bare ground (that's where the phrase “boxing ring” came from). The contest began with the fighters facing off while standing on either side of a line scratched on the dirt in the middle of the ring. A fighter who was physically and mentally ready to take part stood at the line and was, therefore, up to scratch. “Up to snuff ” has much the same meaning. Powdered tobacco was said to sharpen the user's mind, so if you were up to snuff, you were mentally and also physically ready to go.
See also: scratch, up
Endangered Phrases by Steven D. Price
See also:
  • not for a second
  • not for a minute
  • not for a moment
  • not for a instant
  • not for a/one minute/moment/second/instant
  • not all there
  • aint
  • ain't
  • be like ships in the night
  • be not much cop
References in periodicals archive
The snuff box can be viewed in the Jacobite exhibition.
Bonnie Prince Charlie snuff box goes on display; MUSEUM
It is pertinent to mention here that the Iraqi law enforcement agents had arrested many Pakistanis for having snuff in May last year.
Carrying snuff during traveling abroad banned
In continuation to charas and snuff addicted active smokers, next, we evaluated the levels of DNA damage in snuff-addicted passive smokers.
Assessment of Genotoxicity in Lymphocytes of Active and Passive Cigarette Smokers Attenuated with Green Tea
He put his hands in his trousers' pockets as if searching for something, took out a crumpled Sh100 note, handed it to me, and gave me directions on where to buy the snuff.
State, please rescue us from jaws of cancer
In 1702, when a Spanish convoy bearing 50 tons of Havana snuff was captured by British ships, the booty was distributed among the sailors as part of their payment.
UNDER THE HAMMER
Tobacco snuff contains more than 19 known carcinogens and at least 30 metallic compounds comprising some heavy metals such as lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), cadmium (Cd), selenium (Se), and mercury (Hg).
Presence of the heavy metal lead in samples of tobacco (Nicotiana tabaccum) snuff in Nigeria
Portuguese traders had already introduced tobacco to the country, but smoking was declared illegal during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912 ) although taking powdered tobacco in the form of snuff was permitted because it was thought to cure common illnesses.
There's snuff choice to please everyone; Small enough to fit in the hand but big on style, these Chinese bottles are a collector's dream
He referred to it as a "snuff movie", adding: "A snuff movie usually consists of a person being tortured or sexually abused and who is killed either before, during or after the act."
Most horrific images I have ever seen, says analyst
Today, Smokey Mountain offers nine SKUs, including seven snuff flavors: wintergreen, classic, straight, arctic mint, cherry, peach and grape.
Spotlight on: Smokey Mountain: as the tobacco industry feels pressure, Smokey Mountain's tobacco free smokeless products are poised for continued growth
North-East snuff punk rockers The Borstal Babies are set to release their debut EP Guts.
Gig Preview
Jizan, Muharram 6, 1435, Nov 9, 2013, SPA -- Patrols of the Borders Guard managed to foil various attempts to smuggle drugs, weapons, snuff, ammunition, livestock and foodstuffs into the Kingdom, in operations closely followed up by the Commander of the Borders Guard, in Jazan Region, Maj.
Border Guards Foils Smuggling Attempts, Last Month, in Jazan Region
I doubt though he will be reinstating the old Cross custom of the 1980s of snorting snuff, and er, breaking wind.
New Cross eaterie is really up to snuff
Washington, February 20 ( ANI ): Smokeless tobacco users who had no intention to quit changed their minds or significantly cut back on the habit when given nicotine lozenges or tobacco-free snuff in a new study.
Nicotine lozenges, tobacco free snuff help smokeless tobacco users kick the habit
Now available in an excellent hardbound, large print edition perfect for public libraries or nearsighted individuals, Snuff is Terry Pratchett's latest novel set in the chaotic Discworld, a fantastic land "at the far end of the probability curve." Following the stalwart Commander Sam Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch during his countryside vacation, Snuff takes a dark turn as the bodies of victims abruptly turn up - en masse.
The Large Print Shelf