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Where Does The Phrase Doesnt Cut The Mustard Come From

WHEN MUSTARD was one of the main crops in East Anglia, it was cut by hand with scythes, in the same way as corn. The crop could grow up to six feet high and this was very arduous work, requiring extremely sharp tools. When blunt they “would not cut the mustard”.

THE MORRIS Dictionary of Word & Phrase Origins (Harper Collins – 1988), relates the phrase to an earlier expression – “the proper mustard”, meaning “the genuine article”. 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”.

Example of use: “I really like Jake, but he just can’t cut the mustard.” The phrase ‘can’t cut the mustard emerged in America at the end of the 1800s. 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.”

Over many years a specialised blade was developed that had an extremely thin leading edge which widened towards the centre and then tapered at the trailing edge although not to a sharp point. This allowed the blade to skim the majority of the topcrust off, leaving a very thin slice which would be left on to protect the mustard.

What is the origin of the idiom cut the mustard?

Etymology. Probably from likening the pungency of the spice mustard as a superlative or as something that adds zest to a situation. Possibly derived from the idiom ’to pass muster’, an expression for assembling military troops for inspection.

What does couldn’t cut the mustard mean?

When you use the expression ’Can’t Cut the Mustard’ you mean that someone is unable to succeed or meet expectations. Example of use: “I really like Jake, but he just can’t cut the mustard.”

What is the origin of too old to cut the mustard?

This dates back to at least 1672, when the term ’as keen as mustard’ is first recorded. ’Up to mustard’ or just ’mustard’ means up to standard in the same way as ’up to snuff’. ’Cutting’ has also long been used to mean ’exhibiting’, as in the phrase ’cutting a fine figure’.

Where does the phrase can’t cut the mustard come from?

WHEN MUSTARD was one of the main crops in East Anglia, it was cut by hand with scythes, in the same way as corn. The crop could grow up to six feet high and this was very arduous work, requiring extremely sharp tools. When blunt they “would not cut the mustard”.

Is cut the mustard an idiom?

(idiomatic) To suffice; to be good or effective enough. Give me the bigger hammer. This little one just doesn’t cut the mustard.

Where did the idiom cut the mustard?

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”. The modern sense of the idiom is “to succeed; to have the ability to do something; to come up to expectations”.

Can’t cut the mustard meaning and sentence?

What does “cut the mustard” mean? To cut the mustard is “to reach or surpass the desired standard or performance” or more generally “to succeed, to have the ability to do something.” For instance, Beyoncé really cut the mustard in her new song.

Why do we say cut the mustard?

WHEN MUSTARD was one of the main crops in East Anglia, it was cut by hand with scythes, in the same way as corn. The crop could grow up to six feet high and this was very arduous work, requiring extremely sharp tools. When blunt they “would not cut the mustard”.

What does cut muster mean?

Possibly derived from the idiom ’to pass muster’, an expression for assembling military troops for inspection. A troop who has achieved excellent performance in, for example, a room inspection, is allowed to skip, or “cut” having to stand a formal muster or formation and go on liberty early, etc.

Does cut the mustard mean fart?

3. rude slang To fart. I can’t believe you cut the mustard in the car. Now we have to smell it all the way home!

Where does the saying can’t cut the mustard come from?

WHEN MUSTARD was one of the main crops in East Anglia, it was cut by hand with scythes, in the same way as corn. The crop could grow up to six feet high and this was very arduous work, requiring extremely sharp tools. When blunt they “would not cut the mustard”.

Is the saying cut the muster or cut the mustard?

To recap: “To pass muster” is correct. “To cut the mustard” is correct. All other forms are just a bit muddled.

More Answers On Where Does The Phrase Doesnt Cut The Mustard Come From

Where Does The Phrase “Cut The Mustard” Come From?

Evidence for the phrase can be found in a Galveston, Texas newspaper in 1891-92. The author O. Henry—who spent many years in Texas, where he may have picked up the expression—used cut the mustard in his 1907 collection of short stories The Heart of the West: “I looked around and found a proposition that exactly cut the mustard.”

What is the origin of the phrase “doesn’t cut the mustard”?

THE MORRIS Dictionary of Word & Phrase Origins (Harper Collins – 1988), relates the phrase to an earlier expression – “the proper mustard”, meaning “the genuine article”. Around the turn of the …

Where did the phrase “can’t cut the mustard” come from?

To “cut the mustard” is to succeed, to have the capacity to achieve something, to be able to meet expectations. While it started as a positive – and first appeared in print in “The Heart of the West” by the humorist O Henry – today it’s most often used in the negative sense: He couldn’t cut the mustard.

Can’t Cut the Mustard | Phrase Definition, Origin & Examples

The phrase ’can’t cut the mustard emerged in America at the end of the 1800s. 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 use of quotation marks indicates that the phrase was already a common one.

Cut The Mustard – The Meaning and Origin of This Saying – Know Your Phrase

The Origin Of ’Cut The Mustard’ The origin of this phrase is unclear. 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. In one of them, which is believed to have been written around the year 1909, it reads: “She cut the …

’Cut the mustard’ – the meaning and origin of this phrase

Whatever the coinage, the phrase itself emerged in the USA towards the end of the 19th century. 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.”

Urban Dictionary: Doesn’t Cut the Mustard

Doesn’t Cut the Mustard This phrase originates from the Old English craft of Mustard making. The chief mustard maker or Mustardeer would make their mustard in large oaken barrels, allowing each barrel to mature for a number of months.

Does not cut the mustard – Idioms by The Free Dictionary

Definition of does not cut the mustard in the Idioms Dictionary. does not cut the mustard phrase. What does does not cut the mustard expression mean? Definitions by the largest Idiom Dictionary. … doesn’t know sic ’em (from come here) doesn’t matter to me; doesn’t/wouldn’t know (one’s) arse from (one’s) elbow;

It does not cut the mustard – Idioms by The Free Dictionary

doesn’t cut the mustard 1. Is unable to work or operate in a satisfactory manner. I need a new worker from the temp agency—the one you sent over keeps mixing up orders and just doesn’t cut the mustard. This toaster doesn’t cut the mustard anymore. No matter what setting you choose, your toast comes out charred! 2.

Doesn’t cut the mustard – Idioms by The Free Dictionary

doesn’t cut the mustard 1. Is unable to work or operate in a satisfactory manner. I need a new worker from the temp agency—the one you sent over keeps mixing up orders and just doesn’t cut the mustard. This toaster doesn’t cut the mustard anymore. No matter what setting you choose, your toast comes out charred! 2.

etymology – What is the origin of the phrase “cut the mustard …

Time will reveal that he cannot ’cut the mustard’. Their definition 3c shows the reasoning and some variants: slang (orig. U.S.). Something which adds piquancy or zest; that which sets the standard or is the best of anything. to cut the mustard and variants: to come up to expectations, to meet requirements, to succeed.

Where Does The Phrase ’Cut The Mustard’ Come From? – LBC

Answer. Name: Diana. Qualification: Answer: You have to cut mustard to different sizes – fine, medium grain etc. Before machinery, people had to do it by hand with very sharp knives. It was a very difficult thing to do as it had to be done to exactly the right size.

The Grammarphobia Blog: Can you cut the mustard?

A: The phrase “cut the mustard” originated in late 19th-century America. The Oxford English Dictionary describes it as “slang (originally U.S.),” and says the noun “mustard” here means “something which adds piquancy or zest; that which sets the standard or is the best of anything.”. The OED says the the phrase and its variants …

what does cut the mustard mean – Perfect description

Feb 7, 2022What does “cut the mustard” mean? To cut the mustard is “to reach or surpass the desired standard or performance” or more generally “to succeed, to have the ability to do something.”For instance, Beyoncé really cut the mustard in her new song. Most often, the phrase is used in negative constructions for when something doesn’t live up to expectations or can’t do the job, e.g.,

Urban Dictionary: Doesn’t Cut the Mustard

This phrase originates from the Old English craft of Mustard making. The chief mustard maker or Mustardeer would make their mustard in large oaken barrels, allowing each barrel to mature for a number of months. This maturing of the mustard produced a thick, leathery crust at the top of the barrel which would need to be removed before the contents could be tested.

Can’t Cut the Mustard | Phrase Definition, Origin & Examples

The phrase ’can’t cut the mustard emerged in America at the end of the 1800s. 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 use of quotation marks indicates that the phrase was already a …

Cut The Mustard – The Meaning and Origin of This Saying – Know Your Phrase

The Origin Of ’Cut The Mustard’ The origin of this phrase is unclear. 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. In one of them, which is believed to have been written around the year 1909, it reads: “She cut the …

Doesn’t cut the mustard – Idioms by The Free Dictionary

Definition of doesn’t cut the mustard in the Idioms Dictionary. doesn’t cut the mustard phrase. What does doesn’t cut the mustard expression mean? Definitions by the largest Idiom Dictionary.

CUT THE MUSTARD definition, example and origin of the phrase

It doesn’t seem to ’cut the mustard’. Sorry. Just had to say it. There have also been suggestions that it might have to do with the actual harvesting of the crop, but yet again, there seems to be no basis for this. It does seem to originate in late nineteenth century America, and come from the long established use of the word …

Where does the phrase ’cut the mustard’ come from? Did mustard … – Quora

Answer (1 of 12): Lois, 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”. According to “Worldwide Words”, the modern sense of the idiom is “to succeed; to have the ability to…

“Doesn’t Cut the Mustard” – Origin? – General Questions – Straight Dope …

I’m willing to bet that it is “doesn’t cut the muster” with a d added on by people mishearing it. The explanation I always heard, which I don’t believe, is that mustard, being liquid, is easy to cut, and thus if something can’t even cut mustard it is really lame.. The explanation I do believe, is that cutting muster is a military term meaning “pass inspection”.

etymology – What is the origin of the phrase “cut the mustard …

Time will reveal that he cannot ’cut the mustard’. Their definition 3c shows the reasoning and some variants: slang (orig. U.S.). Something which adds piquancy or zest; that which sets the standard or is the best of anything. to cut the mustard and variants: to come up to expectations, to meet requirements, to succeed.

That Just Doesn’t Cut the Mustard – English-Language Thoughts

If you didn’t cut the mustard, you weren’t giving someone what they wanted (mustard). So yes, in the past, when mustard was both literally and metaphorically pretty hot stuff, these phrases made sense. Now, when mustard is just one condiment among many, easily available from the supermarket, the logic isn’t so obvious.

Urban Dictionary: Cut the mustard.

Does not pass standard. Is not good enough. Is lacking. The passage about the mustardeer or cutting layers of hardened mustard is bullshit some troll made up. The first recorded use of the phrase cut the mustard was 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”.

What Does Cut the Mustard Mean? – Writing Explained

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. Contents [ hide] 1 Cutting the Mustard Meaning. 2 Origin of Cut the Mustard. 3 Examples of Cut the Mustard.

Where does the phrase “cut the mustard” originate? – Answerbag

Fortunately, there’s a glimmer of sense in all this. Years before “cut the mustard” showed up to mystify us, “mustard” was being used as slang for “that which adds zest” or “the best of anything,” obviously referring to real mustard. To “cut the mustard” would then logically mean “to match the best in any situation.”

Where does the phrase “cut the mustard” come from?

Where does the phrase “cut the mustard” come from? 3 comments. share. save. hide. report. 50% Upvoted. This thread is archived. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast.

Cut the mustard – World Wide Words

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”. The modern sense of the idiom is “to succeed; to have the ability to do something; to come up to expectations”. But why that exact phrase, nobody seems to know.

Where Does The Phrase ’Cut The Mustard’ Come From? – LBC

Answer. Name: Diana. Qualification: Answer: You have to cut mustard to different sizes – fine, medium grain etc. Before machinery, people had to do it by hand with very sharp knives. It was a very difficult thing to do as it had to be done to exactly the right size.

’Muster’ or ’Mustard’: Which Gets a Pass? | Merriam-Webster

If someone passes the mustard, remember to say “Thanks.” The good news is that the appropriate choice of words to precede muster and mustard is very clear. One passes muster and cuts the mustard. Of the possible misapplications of these phrases, it is more common to encounter pass the mustard (although as with many wordplay jokes, it is not …

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