Meaning
Meet the required standard or perform adequately. Current informal idiom Regional use: United States; now widespread.
Origin
An Americanism printed in Texas and Nebraska in 1891. Mustard had long represented zest or pungency, while 19th-century cut could mean to surpass or outdo; together they yield the sense of measuring up. The popular claim that the expression is a corruption of pass muster lacks intermediate evidence and is not supported by the recorded forms.
Research Sources
References used to check this entry’s meaning, history, or documented forms.
Variants
- can't cut the mustard
- couldn't cut the mustard
- doesn't cut the mustard
Usage Examples
- The bargain drill was cheap, but it could not cut the mustard on hardwood.
- A vague promise will not cut the mustard with the review panel.