Talk:cut the muster

I would understand why "Cut the Muster" might evolve into "Cut the Mustard", but believe that there is a basic mistake being made in that the original phrase I believe) was to "Cut Muster"

It has been my understanding that the saying derived from the military usage of muster - a gathering of soldiers for parade or assembled for action. In this case to Cut Muster had a meaning that a soldier was fit for action and able to join the muster.

Note "cut" is used in many ways. The most common it the familiar - to cut meat/paper/...etc. into slice into. To make the cut, the cut of a suit, etc would have their origin in this usage.

But other usages exist - "a fine cut of a man" would refer to an impressive specimen of the male adult........

All that I have written above is my personal belief which I cannot substantiate in cursory web searches. I am interested in this because so many common phrases are mangled versions of the original. Examples include:

"Lead on Macbeth" or "Lead on MacDuff", while the original was "Lay on MacDuff" i.e. "get your sword out and we'll settle this"

"All that glistens is not gold" origin: "All that glisters is not gold"

mike

Erroneously?
This page suggests the term is incorrect, and links to the "correct" term's page - however that page then has no firm origins listed either, and also suggests it may have arisen from "passing muster"... Which would suggest "cut the muster" would come first. Both pages really need references, and probably should merge together.