to come up to the scratch
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To be ready whpn wanted; to fulfil expectations. In prize-- fighting a line was scratched on the ground, and the toe of the fighter must come up to the scratch.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to come up to the scratch” mean?
To be ready whpn wanted; to fulfil expectations. In prize-- fighting a line was scratched on the ground, and the toe of the fighter must come up to the scratch.
Is “to come up to the scratch” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.