Cut the mustard

Suggest a Correction

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.

Variants

  • can't cut the mustard
  • doesn't cut the mustard
  • couldn'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.

Browse More

A to Z More C phrases