We may not all endorse competition, yet on some level we embrace the competitive spirit. While competition can bring out some ugly qualities, it has the potential to bring out the good qualities within us such as innovation, resourcefulness, creativity, and teamwork. When in competition, we sometimes mention the abilities of our opponent(s) or competitors and how they measure up. Sometimes we say they just aren’t “up to scratch” …
Q: Why do we say a person isn’t “up to scratch”?
A: During the early days of bare-knuckle boxing, a line was scratched across the centre of the ring, dividing it into two halves. This is where the fighters met to start the contest, or where they “toed the line” to begin each round. If, as the fight progressed, one of the boxers was unable to toe the line without help from his seconds, it was said he had failed to come “up to scratch.”
photograph by Dave Hogg
