# cut the mustard

idiom · CEFR B1

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/cut-the-mustard
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To achieve the expected standard; to be effective or good enough; to suffice.

## Examples

- Your work doesn't quite cut the mustard.
- He applied for the manager role, but his experience didn't cut the mustard.
- The young chef trained for years in Paris, yet his first solo menu failed to cut the mustard with the city's most feared critics.

## Origin

Early 20th-century American (used by O. Henry in 1907); 'mustard' was slang for the genuine article or the best of something, though the exact origin is uncertain. (disputed)

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.