Meaning
Meet expectations; be good enough.
Primary Function
Performance evaluation.
Communicative Purpose
To assess adequacy.
Pattern
cut the mustard
Core Structure
cut the mustard
Função primária
Performance evaluation.
Propósito comunicativo
To assess adequacy.
Situações de gatilho
Job performance, quality.
Contextos
Work, sports.
Padrão
cut the mustard
Estrutura central
cut the mustard
Slots de substituição
none
Colocados típicos
- can’t
- doesn’t
- enough to
Substituições comuns
- make the grade
- measure up
Erros comuns
*cut the mustard on* (needs direct? “cut the mustard” alone)
Similar / contraste
not up to scratch
Interferências
Not cooking.
Família do chunk
- Quality/ability idioms
Nuance
Colloquial, slightly old-fashioned.
Efeito pragmático
Casual critique.
Dica de memória
Cutting mustard plant (difficult) or military origin.
Nota
This idiom is often used to evaluate if someone or something meets the required standards or expectations. It can be used in both positive and negative contexts.
Upgrade path
perform to the required standard (formal)
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