Idiom meaning, usage examples, facts

1. The coach accepted 50 boys who wanted to play football. Before the regular season opened, however, he had to remove from the team those players who couldn’t cut the mustard.
2. The captain of the ship was trying to assemble a sailing crew. He told all the men who applied that they would have to work long and hard hours, and that he would accept only those who could cut the mustard.

Synonyms: make the grade; up to snuff. Whereas make the grade and up to snuff can be used to describe both people and things, cut the mustard is only used with people.