the cockroach would have had it by a short head

[cimorene]

Lucius Pim was not a man I was fond of — in fact, if I had had to choose between him and a cockroach as a companion for a walking-tour, the cockroach would have had it by a short head — but there was no doubt that he had outlined the right policy. His advice was good, and I decided to follow it.

—PG Wodehouse, Very Good, Jeeves