# What does ‘cut the mustard’ mean?

To “cut the mustard” means to meet expectations or perform adequately. A late 19th- or early 20th-century American idiom; the origin is uncertain and Brewer's 1898 does not record it.

## What it means

- A late 19th- or early 20th-century American idiom; the origin is uncertain and Brewer's 1898 does not record it.

## Action steps

1. Usually used in the negative ('can't cut the mustard').
2. Example: The new hire couldn't cut the mustard.

## Sources

- [Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898) — Internet Archive scan](https://archive.org/details/brewers-dictionary-of-phrase-and-fable)

---
Canonical: https://bestidiomanswers.com/answers/cut-the-mustard
Author: Best Idiom Answers — https://bestidiomanswers.com
Publisher: Best Idiom Answers
Published: 2026-07-18T04:16:35.564754+00:00
Modified: 2026-07-18T04:16:35.564754+00:00
Last verified: 2026-07-18
License: Citation License 1.0 — https://bestexpertanswers.com/license
© Adolicious LLC