Date: Wed, 20 Apr 1994 09:09:16 CDT

From: Randy Roberts robertsr[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]EXT.MISSOURI.EDU

Subject: Re: Cutting mustard



See William Safire's "Word Play", New York Times Magazine, 12 April

1981, p. 18. The suggestion is that cut the mustard comes from the

earlier cut the muster. Cut used in the sense of outdo or excel and

muster used in the sense of an act or process of critical examination.

Randy Roberts robertsr[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]ext.missouri.edu U. of Missouri-Columbia.





______________________________ Reply Separator _________________________________

Subject: Cutting mustard

Author: RTROIKE%ARIZVMS.BITNET[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]uga.cc.uga.edu at INTERNET-EXT

Date: 4/19/94 10:27 PM





One of my colleagues recently asked me if I knew anything about the origins/

distribution of the phrase "can't cut the mustard". Anyone with a ready

answer out there?

--Rudy Troike (rtroike[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]ccit.arizona.edu)