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(ordered by seriousness) ESL Vocabulary Lists Parts of Speech Lists A-Z Idioms and Proverbs Tests and Games Top Tip Install a grammar checker
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(ordered by seriousness) ESL Vocabulary Lists Parts of Speech Lists A-Z Idioms and Proverbs Tests and Games Top Tip Install a grammar checker
for your browser
Can't Cut the Mustard (Origin)
What Is the Origin of the Saying "Can't Cut the Mustard"?
The term "can't cut the mustard" means unable to meet the standard.
Competing Theory
The term is literal. It means that a person cannot cut the mustard plants, which grow in dense clumps and are notoriously tough and stringy. In the mustard industry, if someone cannot cut the plants, they are useless. Nowadays, the term means not up to standard in any context.Previous and Next Sayings
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