| Idiom | Scratch the Surface |
|---|---|
| Example | Doctors have only scratched the surface in finding the cure for this disease. |
| Meaning | to just begin to deal with a problem; to deal with only a very small part of a subject |
| Origin | This well-used saying comes from the 1800s. In farming, to prepare the soil for planting you have to dig deeply. In archaeology, to uncover ancient treasures you often have to dig deeply. If, in any area, you only "scratch the surface," you'd be doing the task superficially. By the 1900s, this saying was transferred to all areas of life. |
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