answer the bell To meet demands, requirements, or requests; to respond to a challenge, to pick up the glove or gauntlet. The allusion is to a boxing match in which a bell is sounded to signal the beginning of each round. If a boxer is too hurt to continue the fight, however, he will not answer the bell, i.e., come out of his corner to start the next round.

cut the mustard To meet or exceed performance requirements; to succeed or accomplish. Several marginally plausible derivations have been proposed, one of which relies on the definition of mustard as the strong spice considered by many chefs to be the finishing touch to several culinary masterpieces. As with most flavor enhancers, mustard is cut into the food, that is, added in small amounts. Another source suggests that the original expression may have been cut the muster, implying that a soldier passed inspection with flying colors.

In contemporary usage, the expression is often employed in a negative phrase such as can’t cut the mustard or doesn’t cut the mustard.

earn one’s wings To prove one-self proficient and reliable in a given skill or ability. The allusion is to the wing-shaped badges worn by pilots and other aircraft crew members upon completion of rigid requirements and strict training. Such badges are symbolic of competence.

pass muster To pass inspection; to meet or surpass certain standards; to be approved or accepted; to succeed. Muster is a military term for an assemblage of troops for inspection or some other purpose. Thus, in its original context, pass muster indicated that a soldier had successfully undergone an inspection. The expression soon expanded into more figurative applications, and continues in widespread use.

toe the mark To conform to rules or standards, to come up to scratch, to shape up; to fulfill one’s obligations, to perform one’s duty; also to toe the line.

Originally and literally to toe the mark meant to line up in a row with the toes touching a mark or line. It was probably used in reference to runners at the starting line of a race or to military personnel arrayed for inspection. The earliest recorded written use of the expression was in James K. Paulding’s The Diverting History of John Bull and Brother Jonathan (1813).

up to scratch Meeting specified standards; acceptable, satisfactory. The scratch of the expression was the line drawn on the ground in various sporting events: prize fighting, cockfighting, foot racing, and others. Contestants who came “up to [the] scratch” were worthy competitors, ready to undertake the challenge and prove their mettle. Thus the expression is similar in origin and current meaning to toe the mark. Today it is used primarily for performance evaluation, but may be varied in context to specify any type of judgmental standard.

up to snuff Satisfactory, acceptable; up to par; meeting performance standards. Webster’s Third cites W. H. Whyte:

The British require more than mere acceptability for “up to snuff,” however; for them it means ‘alert, sharp, shrewd, not easily duped.’ Etymologically related to the German verb for to smell, the phrase up to snuff describes one who is quick to “smell out” a situation or to “be on the right scent;” one who is percipient and discerning.

up to the mark Passing the test, meeting the requirements. There is little evidence to support the theory that the mark here is specifically that fixed by the Assay Office as the standard for gold and silver. Mark has so many applications relevant to criteria that none can be definitively cited as the sole origin. It is quite possible that this mark is the same as that of toe the mark, and as such is also the equivalent of scratch in up to scratch.

walk the chalk To pass the test, to meet the requirements. Literally the phrase refers to the sobriety test formerly given seamen: walking between parallel lines chalked on deck. The expression is little used today.

win one’s spurs To achieve recognition for one’s accomplishments, to distinguish one-self in one’s field, to prove one’s worth or ability. This expression, dating from the 14th century, originally meant to attain the rank of knight, since a newly dubbed knight was presented with a pair of gilt spurs as a symbol of his chivalry. In order to become a knight, one first had to distinguish one-self by performing acts of bravery, usually on the battlefield. The expression is still current.