That meaning of scratch goes back to the late 18th century. From there it came to apply specifically to the starting point, in a handicap, of a competitor who received no odds: "Mr. Tom Sabin, of the Coventry Bicycle Club, has won, during last week, three races from scratch. It was later applied figuratively with the meaning "from nothing", and it was used thus by James Joyce in Ulysses : "A poor foreign immigrant who started scratch as a stowaway and is now trying to turn an honest penny.
Today it is a badge of honor to be able to say one made a culinary delight from scratch. As the other two answers mention, "scratch" refers to sporting events.
However, it was first used in terms of boxing and cricket after which the term was applied to races. It appears the term "from scratch" can be earliest derived from foot races, followed by other sporting events. Where the starting line was literally scratched onto the ground. There is even mention of it being use as a term in for a golfer who does not have a handicap.
Eventually "from scratch" took on the meaning "from nothing". Hence cooking from scratch meaning to start with basic pantry items, and not to use premixed goods.
As TXChetG says it's from the line at the start of the race - but how you get to "made from scratch isn't so clear". From this sense of "starting at the very beginning" we get "made from scratch" to mean made from the most elementary starting materials. Sign up to join this community. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top. Stack Overflow for Teams — Collaborate and share knowledge with a private group.
Create a free Team What is Teams? Learn more. Where does the saying "made from scratch" originate? Ask Question. Asked 10 years, 2 months ago. Active 7 years, 9 months ago. Store-bought gravy comes in a bottle and is simply heated and served. A benefit of scratch baking and cooking is that it can be healthier than using pre-mixed products.
Processed goods often contain preservatives that provide a longer shelf life in the supermarket. Scratch meals and baked goods use fresh, basic ingredients without unknown additions. Unknown sometimes equals unhealthy, so most true chefs prepare foods from scratch whenever possible.
Elle Jay. Please enter the following code:. Login: Forgot password? Skinner had selected this particular point for his attack, for he had to leave his enemy in possession of the field. When people are left in possession of the field, spectators have an awkward habit of thinking that their adversary does not dare to come to the scratch. A runner starting from scratch was not given a head start; applying the same idea to other sports, a scratch golfer or scratch bowler is one good enough to play without having their score adjusted with a handicap.
The idea of the scratch as a figurative starting point then gets carried over to contexts of cooking or building, giving us from scratch as a phrase for a true starting point for such projects.
Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free! Log in Sign Up. What to Know To create something from scratch is to make it without any ingredients or materials prepared ahead of time.
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