The phrase "made from scratch", as we know refers to food that required manual clawing of ingredients. 
No one knows who started it and how it propagated but its earliest written mention was from an article in 1946 in The New York Times claiming that "the old-fashioned style of cooking from scratch, as it were, without frozen or canned products-- is on the wane" during the height of TV dinners.

The Origin of "Made From Scratch"

<ul>
<li>According to the Meriam Webster dictionary, scratch meant to compete without a head start or some other advantage given to less skilled athletes in order to level the playing field.</li>
<li>In the 18th century, sports like running and cricket used "scratch" to the line that has been literally scratched from the ground.</li>
<li>While in the 20th century, golf and bowling still stick to the dictionary definition of the word.</li>
</ul>

"Scratch" in Sports

<div>June 2, 2021</div><figure><img src="https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,h_1348,w_2400,x_0,y_192/f_auto,q_auto,w_1100/v1619712186/shape/mentalfloss/646042-gettyimages-1130692164.jpg" alt="Ain't no shame in the boxed mix game." width="768" height="431"><figcaption dir="auto">Ain't no shame in the boxed mix game.
FCAFOTODIGITAL/ISTOCK VIA GETTY IMAGES</figcaption></figure>There’s no shame in using a box mix for <a href="https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/60011/who-invented-brownie" dir="ltr">brownies</a>, but a tray of fudgy squares made from scratch will probably earn you extra <a href="https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/587569/brownie-points-term-origin" dir="ltr">brownie points</a> at the bake sale, so to speak. The word scratch itself sort of fits the meaning of made from scratch, as though you’re manually clawing together ingredients with your bare hands. But the phrase didn’t actually originate in the <a href="https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/624931/simple-kitchen-hacks" dir="ltr">kitchen</a>.As far back as the late 18th century, scratch referred to the starting line in sports like running and <a href="https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/79427/15-corker-cricket-terms-deciphered" dir="ltr">cricket</a>, where that line might literally have been scratched into the ground. It was also the name of the line in a <a href="https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/63958/15-common-phrases-come-boxing" dir="ltr">boxing</a> ring where participants faced off before a round commenced. That definition of scratch soon <a href="https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/173356?redirectedFrom=from+scratch#eid24062550" dir="ltr">propagated</a> a wave of related phrases—toe the scratch, bring to the scratch, and come up to (the) scratch—which basically meant “meet the standard.” These days, we use up to snuff in a similar way.Though the phrase start from scratch arose from sports, too, it didn’t just mean you were starting at the beginning with everyone else. As Merriam-Webster <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/where-does-the-phrase-up-to-snuff-come-from-word-history-definition" dir="ltr">explains</a>, it meant you were competing without a head start or some other advantage given to less skilled athletes in order to level the playing field. This definition of scratch still exists today, in sports like <a href="https://golftips.golfweek.usatoday.com/meaning-scratch-golfer-2467.html" dir="ltr">golf</a> and <a href="https://sparetimesbowling.com/2018/12/what-is-scratch-bowling-how-does-it-differ-from-handicap-bowlinga" dir="ltr">bowling</a>. By the early 20th century, people were using scratch and its phrasal derivatives figuratively, to describe anyone doing anything without a leg up.“My client is an infant, a poor foreign immigrant who started scratch as a stowaway and is now trying to turn an honest penny,” <a href="https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/547359/facts-about-james-joyce" dir="ltr">James Joyce</a> <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=WVofz29Hx9UC&amp;q=%22started+scratch%22#v=snippet&amp;q=%22started%20scratch%22&amp;f=false" dir="ltr">wrote</a> in Ulysses, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ulysses-novel-by-Joyce" dir="ltr">published</a> in its entirety in 1922.Exactly when from scratch was first applied to food remains unclear. But the earliest written mention that Grammarphobia <a href="https://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2011/01/scratch.html" dir="ltr">unearthed</a> came from a 1946 article in The New York Times claiming that “the old-fashioned style of cooking—from scratch, as it were, without frozen or canned products—is on the wane.” When <a href="https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/58808/11-ready-digest-tidbits-about-tv-dinner" dir="ltr">TV dinners</a> took off in the early 1950s, the author of that article probably said “I told you so” to at least a few people.Have you got a Big Question you'd like us to answer? If so, let us know by emailing us at <a href="mailto:bigquestions@mentalfloss.com" dir="ltr">bigquestions@mentalfloss.com</a>.

Whoever started 'from scratch’ didn’t actually do it in the kitchen—and ‘scratch’ has nothing to do with clawing ingredients together with your bare hands.

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There’s no shame in using a box mix for <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/60011/who-invented-brownie">brownies </a>, but a tray of fudgy squares made from scratch will probably earn you extra <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/587569/brownie-points-term-origin">brownie points </a>at the bake sale, so to speak. The word scratch itself sort of fits the meaning of made from scratch , as though you’re manually clawing together ingredients with your bare hands. But the phrase didn’t actually originate in the <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/624931/simple-kitchen-hacks">kitchen </a>.

As far back as the late 18th century, scratch referred to the starting line in sports like running and <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/79427/15-corker-cricket-terms-deciphered">cricket </a>, where that line might literally have been scratched into the ground. It was also the name of the line in a <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/63958/15-common-phrases-come-boxing">boxing </a>ring where participants faced off before a round commenced. That definition of scratch soon <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.oed.com/view/Entry/173356?redirectedFrom=from+scratch#eid24062550">propagated </a>a wave of related phrases—toe the scratch , bring to the scratch , and come up to (the) scratch —which basically meant “meet the standard.” These days, we use up to snuff in a similar way.

Though the phrase start from scratch arose from sports, too, it didn’t just mean you were starting at the beginning with everyone else. As Merriam-Webster <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/where-does-the-phrase-up-to-snuff-come-from-word-history-definition">explains </a>, it meant you were competing without a head start or some other advantage given to less skilled athletes in order to level the playing field. This definition of scratch still exists today, in sports like <a dir="ltr" href="https://golftips.golfweek.usatoday.com/meaning-scratch-golfer-2467.html">golf </a>and <a dir="ltr" href="https://sparetimesbowling.com/2018/12/what-is-scratch-bowling-how-does-it-differ-from-handicap-bowlinga">bowling </a>. By the early 20th century, people were using scratch and its phrasal derivatives figuratively, to describe anyone doing anything without a leg up.

“My client is an infant, a poor foreign immigrant who started scratch as a stowaway and is now trying to turn an honest penny,” <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/547359/facts-about-james-joyce">James Joyce </a><a dir="ltr" href="https://books.google.com/books?id=WVofz29Hx9UC&amp;q=%22started+scratch%22#v=snippet&amp;q=%22started%20scratch%22&amp;f=false">wrote </a>in Ulysses , <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ulysses-novel-by-Joyce">published </a>in its entirety in 1922.

Exactly when from scratch was first applied to food remains unclear. But the earliest written mention that Grammarphobia <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2011/01/scratch.html">unearthed </a>came from a 1946 article in The New York Times claiming that “the old-fashioned style of cooking—from scratch, as it were, without frozen or canned products—is on the wane.” When <a dir="ltr" href="https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/58808/11-ready-digest-tidbits-about-tv-dinner">TV dinners </a>took off in the early 1950s, the author of that article probably said “I told you so” to at least a few people.

Have you got a Big Question you'd like us to answer? If so, let us know by emailing us at <a dir="ltr" href="mailto:bigquestions@mentalfloss.com">bigquestions@mentalfloss.com </a>.

What’s the Scratch in Made From Scratch?

The Origin of "Made From Scratch"

"Scratch" in Sports

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