To faH short of
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To be deficient of a supply. To fall short of the mark is a figure taken from archery, quoits, etc., where the missile falls to the ground before reaching the mark.
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 faH short of” mean?
To be deficient of a supply. To fall short of the mark is a figure taken from archery, quoits, etc., where the missile falls to the ground before reaching the mark.
Is “To faH short of” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.