Why is "subpar" not "superpar"?
My understanding is that the "par" portion of "subpar" comes from the
sport of golf, as in the phrase "par for the course". However if this is
the case, then the construction of the word doesn't seem to make sense. In
golf, the farther below (i.e., sub) the par you are, the better you've
done and the better your score is. Likewise, the farther above you are,
the worse you've done.
Is there a legitimate etymological reason for this word's construction in
relation to its meaning?
Note that I saw this question, but it's completely different and unrelated.
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