While Sunflower and I were eating supper, she used the above expression, then asked whence it came. Not knowing, I'm turning here for an answer.

Well, here's what the Word Detective and Quinion have to say about it.

They both agree that no one seems to know the origin. They also agree that the first printed use of the phrase was in a story by O. Henry in 1907: The Heart of the West: “I looked around and found a proposition that exactly cut the mustard”.

They say that "mustard" may be a corruption of "muster," though there is no evidence to support this. A muster is a military assemblage for inspection. Interestingly, they interpret "cut the muster" differently. Word Detective interprets "cut" as pass or excell, so to "cut the muster" becomes to "pass muster." Quinion interprets "cut the muster" as failing to attend the muster, so the phrase becomes unclear.

They both agree that "mustard" somehow came to represent excellence, "that which adds zest." O. Henry used it this way in Cabbages and Kings , 1904: “I’m not headlined in the bills, but I’m the mustard in the salad dressing just the same”.

Dictionary.com records one of the definitions of "cut" as "to mow; reap; harvest," and the idiom "a cut above" as "somewhat superior to another (thing, person, etc.) in some respect."

So, how did "mustard" become associated with excellence? Perhaps it has something to do with the Parable of the Mustard Seed.

This reminds me of that old phrase, "I may be too old to cut the mustard, but I can still lick the jar."

This message has been edited. Last edited by: tinman,

quote:

Originally posted by tinman:
Well, here's what the Word Detective and Quinion have to say about it.

They both agree that no one seems to know the origin. They also agree that the first printed use of the phrase was in a story by O. Henry in 1907: The Heart of the West: “I looked around and found a proposition that exactly cut the mustard”."

Yes. The OED gives the same first use ( O Henry) detected and explains it:
c. slang (orig. U.S.). Something which adds piquancy or zest; that which sets the standard or is the best of anything. to cut the mustard and variants: to come up to expectations, to meet requirements, to succeed. to be (to) the mustard: to be exactly what is required; to be very good or special.

The origins remain mysterious. Perhaps the sharp, spicy, piquant qualities were considered of great merit, highly desirable and this became a metaphor for excellence or success. Pure conjecture on my part.

quote:

Originally posted by tinman: Word Detective and Quinion agree that the first printed use of the phrase was in a story by O. Henry in 1907.
Originally posted by pearce: Yes. The OED gives the same first use.

Once again, computers allow us to antedate OED without much difficulty. A google-news archive-search (be sure to try the "timeline" feature there) gives several earlier cites, the earliest being

April 16, 1899 - [certain] men, ... it is feared, cannot "cut the mustard" this year. The political tastes of the people are changing with the times.
From Marion Daily Star, 13/2-3

[The google-blurb is somewhat mangled due to op-scanning. I've corrected it by going straight to the source, which requires a subscription.]