A standard used for comparison or measurement; a benchmark against which other things are evaluated or judged. Originally a measuring stick exactly one yard long.
Compound of 'yard' (unit of measurement, from Old English 'geard' meaning rod or stick) + 'stick.' The figurative sense of 'standard of measurement' developed from the literal measuring tool.
Before standardized rulers, people literally carried yard-long sticks to measure things! The metaphorical meaning is surprisingly recent - we only started using 'yardstick' to mean 'standard' in the 1900s, even though the measuring stick existed for centuries.
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