# up to scratch

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/up-to-scratch
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

sufficient; adequate; of acceptable or satisfactory quality

## Examples

- Your work is not up to scratch.
- I hope my driving is up to scratch for the test today.
- The hotel room was not up to scratch, so we asked for a different one.
- The chef told the new cook that the soup was not up to scratch because it needed more salt and pepper.
- After three months of training, my fitness levels are finally up to scratch for the mountain hike next weekend.
- The committee rejected the proposal because the research methodology failed to meet the standards required to be considered up to scratch.

## Origin

Derived from the noun scratch, denoting the line drawn or etched into the turf to mark the starting position of a contest. The term specifically recalls the conventions of early prize-fighting, in which a boxer was required to demonstrate his fitness to continue by walking unassisted to the centre of the ring and placing his foot upon the mark. To be up to scratch was to be physically capable of reaching the line; to fail was to admit defeat.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.