Meaning of Idiom ‘Cut the Mustard’
To cut the mustard means to perform satisfactorily; to meet expectations; to meet the required standard; to do well enough to succeed (at a job, task, etc.)
Usage Notes
This idiom is most often used in the negative but can be used positively, as well.
Sentence Examples
“I wanted to be a professional baseball player, but I just didn’t cut the mustard at the college level.”
“I’m afraid we’re going to have to fire Peter. He just isn’t cutting the mustard.”
“Other candidates have tried to copy his style but none have cut the mustard.”
“This new shop vac isn’t gong to cut the mustard. It doesn’t have enough power.”
“A website this slow will not cut the mustard today. We need to speed things up.”
Origin
The origin of this idiom is disputed and ultimately unknown. The word mustard was used as slang in the early part of the 1900s to mean ‘the best of anything, or the main attraction.’ However, it is not clear how the word ‘cut’ fits into the expression to render it ‘not the best.’
Perhaps the best theory is that mustard, being a very common crop, would grow as high as corn and had to be cut by hand with a scythe. It was very difficult to cut and if the blade was not extremely sharp, it would not ‘cut the mustard.’
Another theory is that cut the mustard is a corruption of pass muster. Again, how pass could have become cut is not clear.
A third theory holds that the idiom concerns the preparation of a mustard condiment, where the mustard seeds must be ‘cut’ with vinegar to reduce the bitterness.
