# "take the candle on this one" Is this a proper phrase? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 10, 2016, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-the-candle-on-this-one-is-this-a-proper-phrase/759565 "2016-07-10T13:46:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2016, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-the-candle-on-this-one-is-this-a-proper-phrase/759565/1 "2016-07-10T13:46:19Z")
Hi When Paul Ryan weighed in on the FBI’s decision not to indict Hillary Clinton,he said of the Clintons that “they take the candle on this one.”. (1 minute into the video) Is this a proper phrase? Is this some variation of "take the cake"? I look forward to your feedback. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2016, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-the-candle-on-this-one-is-this-a-proper-phrase/759565/2 "2016-07-10T13:59:27Z")
I assume he’s conflated “they take the cake” with “no one can hold a candle to them” in regards to shady above the law type things. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2016, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-the-candle-on-this-one-is-this-a-proper-phrase/759565/3 "2016-07-10T14:59:48Z")
Whenever I hear something off like this, I assume that folks in DC just like to attempt to coin new phrases, like “wee-wee’d up” a while back. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2016, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-the-candle-on-this-one-is-this-a-proper-phrase/759565/4 "2016-07-10T15:11:43Z")
Googling the phrase “take the candle on” just results in a lot of references to the Paul Ryan remark, and some video game walkthroughs. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2016, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-the-candle-on-this-one-is-this-a-proper-phrase/759565/5 "2016-07-10T17:25:59Z")
This very likely has a specific answer rather than being a debate. Off to General Questions. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2016, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-the-candle-on-this-one-is-this-a-proper-phrase/759565/6 "2016-07-10T17:31:00Z")
I take my trousers off to him for trying to avoid a cliché. ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2016, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-the-candle-on-this-one-is-this-a-proper-phrase/759565/7 "2016-07-10T22:26:24Z")
“You should never hold a candle if you don’t know where it’s been.” - Ian Dury 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![glowacks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/glowacks/32/5548_2.png) [@glowacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glowacks)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2016, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/take-the-candle-on-this-one-is-this-a-proper-phrase/759565/8 "2016-07-12T01:46:34Z")
I think it means she angered some Warcraft kobolds.