IdiomFood & Drink
English
EnglishTo cut the mustard
Meaning: To meet the required standard; to succeed.
Example: “The new goalkeeper just doesn't cut the mustard at this level.”
Origin: American slang around 1900, where 'mustard' meant the genuine, top-quality article — to cut it was to be up to the mark.
More English idioms
- By the skin of your teeth By the narrowest possible margin.
- To rain on someone's parade To spoil someone's plans or happy moment.
- To have a chip on your shoulder To harbor a grudge or a defensive sense of grievance.
- To cost an arm and a leg To be extremely expensive.
- To burn the midnight oil To work late into the night.
- Once in a blue moon Very rarely.
Explore another collection: Tongue Twisters
Tricky phrases to practice out loud, from languages around the world.
- Betty Botter bought some butter, but she said the butter's bitter. A 'b / t / tt' plosive drill that bounces between Betty, butter, and bitter.
- She sells seashells by the seashore. The definitive 's' versus 'sh' alternation — the tongue has to switch place of articulati…
- Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. A relentless 'p' plosive drill; a peck is an old dry measure of about nine litres.
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