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The chicken and pasta were delicious. They were excellent.
However, the ______________.

(a) the pizza wasn't quite up there with the rest
(b) the pizza wasn't quite on par with the rest
(c) the pizza left something to be desired

In this context, which one is the most natural, and why it is? What's the differences between them?

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  • up there with the rest is a not-particularly-common allusion to up [there] on the [winners] podium, from competitive sports contexts. left something to be desired is (stereotypically) British understatement. But your choice is just that - a [stylistic] choice. Use whichever form you like best. Commented Jun 5, 2022 at 12:14
  • You ate all those things in one meal? Commented Jun 5, 2022 at 13:35

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  1. The pizza wasn't quite up there with the rest.

To me, this is completely natural, assuming that it's already clear from context what "the rest" means - I assume you're referring to the rest of the food at a restaurant.

  1. The pizza wasn't quite on par with the rest.

This is also completely natural (with the same assumption as the above), although to me, it doesn't imply as strongly that the rest of the food was "up there," i.e., really good. It just means the pizza wasn't as good as the rest. "On par" suggests that the rest of the food was probably at least decent.

  1. The pizza left something to be desired.

Also totally natural. It means the pizza wasn't very good. Unlike the other two, it obviously says nothing about the rest of the food or how the pizza compares to it.

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    Isn't it 'on a par', outside golf? Commented Jun 5, 2022 at 12:24
  • @MichaelHarvey - I've heard both. merriam-webster.com/dictionary/…. Commented Jun 5, 2022 at 12:42
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    I've heard both, but I think only one is right. Commented Jun 5, 2022 at 12:49
  • Don't know, but, for better or worse, "on par with" is more common in spoken English in the US these days. Commented Jun 5, 2022 at 13:32

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