What does cut the muster mean? No one knows the true origin of this idiom but there are many theories about the origin of “cut the mustard” here are a few… mustard seed is hard to cut with a knife because it is small and hard. Muster is the calling together of soldiers, sailors, prisoners, to parade for inspection or exercise. Meaning of cut the muster. This expression is on our list of funny old sayings, so check it out to see more like it. Its proponents often trace it to the American Civil War. 2 Origin of Cut the Mustard. The origin of this phrase is unclear. (To put it another way, the vacuum measured up to the standards I was looking for.). According to one authority, “mustard” used to signify the best or main attraction in a show, probably because … The phrase originated in America in the late 1800s. crust. Due to my back problems, my doctor suggested I buy a new chair with better lumbar support. The chief mustard maker or Mustardeer would make their mustard in large oaken barrels, allowing each barrel to mature for a number of months. Information and translations of cut the muster in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. We do have the analogous expression “to pass muster," which probably first suggested this alternative; but although the origins of “cut the mustard" are somewhat obscure, the latter is definitely the form used in all sorts of writing throughout the twentieth century. Mustard gained its name because originally, its seeds were ground into paste with the must to make the condiment. The OED, which is the most complete record of the English language, along with all of the other reference works I've checked, don't record 'cut the muster' at all. It is also possible that "cut the mustard" refers to "cutting" (adulterating) mustard to make it less pungent, but this origin, as you note, seems unlikely because the idea of weakening strong mustard is almost completely opposite to the popular "strong enough" sense of "cut the mustard." The word itself comes from the Latin mustum, which in English became must, the juice squeezed from grapes before it is made into wine. 'Up to mustard' or just 'mustard' means up to standard in the same way as 'up to snuff'. As always in such circumstances, there are no shortage of guesses. In earliest uses it typically was written as pass the muster; the muster being referred to here was defined as “formal military inspection.” The Origin Of ‘Cut The Mustard’ The origin of this phrase is unclear. There has been an association between the heat and piquancy of mustard and the zest and energy of people's behaviour. 3 Examples of Cut the Mustard. Previous Page Cut The Mustard : Phrases Meaning: To succeed; to come up to expectations. dig one's heels in: On genuine objection to some process or action or motion, actually to stop or oppose it strongly. Another supposed explanation is that the phrase is simply a mistaken version of the military expression 'cut the muster'. What does cut-the-mustard mean? Around the turn of the century, "to cut the mustard" meant to be "of high quality", as when O. Henry said of a pretty girl that "she cut the mustard all right". cut the mustard: To perform well; to meet expectations. Why cutting mustard was chosen as an example of high quality is unclear. Cut The Muster : This etymology seems plausible at first. Doesn't Cut the Mustard This phrase originates from the Old English craft of Mustard making. The first recorded use of the phrase is by O Henry in 1907, in a story called The Heart of the West: “I looked around and found a proposition that exactly cut the mustard”. See Also:Some people find the phrase ‘cut the mustard’ funny because they imagine it in a literal sense. Unless some actual evidence is found for the other proposed explanations, the derivation of 'cutting the mustard' as an alternative way of saying 'exhibiting one's high standards' is by far the most likely. To separate into parts with or as if with a sharp-edged... Cut the mustard - definition of cut the mustard by The Free Dictionary. Then why “cut”? mustard paste was once used to cover meat. The term is American slang, and its origin is disputed. This line of thought appears to have been influenced by confusion with the term 'pass muster', which would have the correct meaning, but which could hardly be argued to be the origin of 'cut the mustard'. 2. Some believe it alludes to mustard in the sense of the best or main … To penetrate with a sharp edge; strike a narrow opening in. Again, one can only speculate. I need a new worker from the temp agency—the one you sent over keeps mixing up orders and just can't cut the mustard. So this phrase is at least 130 years old. This little one just doesn't cut the mustard. Example: I am shopping for a new vacuum; I’m searching for one that is slimmer, lighter, and more flexible than my old one. cut a rug: To dance. cut the cheese (US) To fart. Definition of cut the muster in the Definitions.net dictionary. The use of quotation marks and the lack of any explanation of the term in that citation imply that 'cut the mustard' was already known to Kansas readers and earlier printed examples may yet turn up. Well, I did that and I have to say, the chair I bought has really, I’m searching for a new home, but the ones I’ve looked at so far are not, After several attempts, I finally created a paper airplane that. No matter what setting you choose, your toast comes out charred! The origin of this expression is disputed. The earliest printed example comes from an 1889 edition of The Ottowa Herald: “He tried to run the post office business under Cleveland’s administration, but “couldn’t cut the mustard.” The supporting evidence: Discovered in a letter from “Rusticus” in The Railroad Trainman, a journal of The Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, 1898, as quoted below, Ruticus is speaking about his time working on the railroad as a trainman beginning in 1872. This dates back to at least 1672, when the term 'as keen as mustard' is first recorded. origin of saying Mustard. cut the mustard (third-person singular simple present cuts the mustard, present participle cutting the mustard, simple past and past participle cut the mustard) (idiomatic) To suffice; to be good or effective enough. As always in such circumstances, there are no shortage of guesses. A little research shows it not to be so. The earliest appearance of this saying in print (that I could find) is from a writer named O. Henry, who wrote many stories near the beginning of the 20th century. Again, one can only speculate. The phrase cut the mustard means to be good enough, but it is usually used with negative words such as doesn't, won't, isn't going to, etc., to say that something isn't good enough. The origins of the slang term “cut the mustard ” are shrouded in uncertainty, although there are a few creative theories. There is no evidence to support these derivations and they give the impression of having been retro-fitted in an attempt at plausibility.This is one of the most contested of all phrases. Cut the mustard definition: to come up to expectations | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples This appears believable at first sight. : CUT THE MUSTARD -- From Listening to America: An Illustrated History of Words and Phrases from Our Lively and Splendid Past by Stuart Berg Flexner (Simon and Schuster, 1982), "Mustard came into English in the 13th century from the French (going back to Latin mustum, grape juice, originally used for mixing ground mustard seeds into a paste). This toaster can't cut the mustard anymore. The phrase ‘can’t cut the mustard emerged in America at the end of the 1800s. Give me the bigger hammer. Cut The Mustard. cut off your nose to spite your face: To pursue revenge in a way that would damage oneself more than the object of one's anger. Origin of Cut the Mustard He did not make the cut. Some of these allude to the literal difficulty of cutting mustard in its various forms; for example: - Mustard seed, which is hard to cut with a knife on account of its being small and shiny.- Mustard plants, which are tough and stringy and grow densely.- Culinary mustard, which is cut (diluted) and made more palatable by the addition of vinegar.- Dried mustard paste, which was reputedly used to coat meat and then dried to form a Skatches – Cut the Mustard Origin . Mustard plants had a reputation for being tough and stringy and, if the blades were not sharp, workers struggled to ‘cut the mustard’. TOO OLD TO CUT THE MUSTARD by Ernest Tubb and Red Foley 1951.Just brought home a fine collection of country music 78s, untouched since the 1950's. In one of them, which is believed to have been written around the year 1909, it reads: However, according to The Phrase Finder, there’s an earlier example of this saying appearing in print. He can’t cut it. This term usually shows up in a negative sense, as in when something "doesn't cut the mustard"; in other words, it fails to meet expectations or doesn't meet a given need. In one of them, which is believed … Perform satisfactorily, as in We need a better catcher; this one just doesn't cut the mustard. Example: Origin: Why cutting mustard was chosen as an example of high quality is unclear. I would understand why "Cut the Muster" might evolve into "Cut the Mustard", but believe that there is a basic mistake being made in that the original phrase I believe) was to "Cut Muster" It has been my understanding that the saying derived from the military usage of muster - a gathering of soldiers for parade or assembled for action. 1. Pass muster is considerably older than cut the mustard, and has been in use since the late 16th century. In other words, they matched the qualifications being looked for; they filled expectations. However, why mustard is used as a reference to high quality is unclear. This example is from a newspaper called The Ottawa Herald, 1889: “He tried to run the post office business under Cleveland’s administration, but ‘couldn’t cut the mustard.’ “. Whatever the coinage, the phrase itself emerged in the USA towards the end of the 19th century. The phrase of this week is “you can’t judge a book by its cover.” Learn what it means, discover its origin, plus see a few sentence examples of this common saying. The expression cut the mustard means that someone or something meets the required standards. 1 Cutting the Mustard Meaning. The earliest example in print that I've found is from the Kansas newspaper The Ottawa Herald, August, 1889: He tried to run the post office business under Cleveland's administration, but "couldn't cut the mustard.". The fact that documented examples of 'cut the mustard' are known from many years before any for 'cut the muster' would appear to rule out the latter as the origin. (idiomatic) To suffice; to be good or effective enough. It often is put negatively, as someone cannot cut the mustard, that is, is not performing adequately. The use of quotation marks and the lack of any explanation of the term in that citation imply that 'cut the mustard' was already known to Kansas readers and earlier printed examples may yet turn up. Origin of cut-the-muster A modification of cut the mustard; see muster, pass muster. The word expert Michael Quinion has this to say (from his Web site World Wide Words): “It’s much more likely that it’s a development of the long-established use of mustard as a superlative, as in phrases such as keen as mustard. A It seems that the phrase is of early twentieth-century US origin. To cut muster would be a breach of discipline; hardly a phrase that would have been adopted with the meaning of success or excellence. 1. slang Is unable to work or operate in a satisfactory manner. Origin #1: At the time when mustard was one of the main crops produced in East Anglia in the east of England, it was harvested by hand using a scythe – a long-handled tool with a curved blade. Welcome to Boards.ie; here are some tips and tricks to help you get started. ting , cuts v. tr. 'Cutting' has also long been used to mean 'exhibiting', as in the phrase 'cutting a fine figure'. can't cut the mustard! mustard sauce is “cut” or diluted with vinegar to make it taste better. Synonyms for cut the mustard include hack it, pass muster, make the cut, make the grade, be up to par, be up to snuff, measure up, come up to scratch, cut it and … After some research, I finally settled on one and so far it has cut the mustard. The earliest appearance of this saying in print (that I could find) is from a writer named O. Henry, who wrote many stories near the beginning of the 20th century.

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