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Post 103 - It’s the weekend - Idiom of the Day
Keen as Mustard

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Figurative meaning

The idiom "keen as mustard" means to be extremely eager or enthusiastic about something. It suggests a high level of readiness and excitement, similar to the sharp, strong flavor of mustard.

Typical usage

"Keen as mustard" is used to describe someone's intense zeal or motivation towards an activity, task, or idea.

For example, you might hear it in a sentence like, "She was keen as mustard to start her new job," indicating that she was very excited and enthusiastic about the opportunity.

Origin

The expression "keen as mustard" originates from the early 20th century. The term "keen" in this context means having a sharp edge or being acutely perceptive. Mustard, particularly mustard paste, is known for its strong and pungent flavor. The comparison likely arises from mustard’s intense taste, which metaphorically parallels the intensity of someone’s enthusiasm or eagerness.

I also ran this through Perplexity, I think Perplexity has given me a much more credible answer as far as origin goes.

The idiom "keen as mustard" means being very eager, enthusiastic, or interested in something [1][2][3][4][5]. It is a simile that compares someone's enthusiasm to the sharpness and zestiness of mustard.

Some key points about this expression:

- It is mainly used in British English and is considered old-fashioned [1][2].

- The phrase was first recorded in 1672 by William Walker in his work "Phraseologia Anglo-Latina" [5]. It was later used in 1679 by F. Smith in "Clod-pate's Ghost", clarifying the meaning as being very enthusiastic [5].

- Mustard became associated with vigour and enthusiasm because it added zest and flavour to foods like roast beef, which was a popular English meal [5]. Mustard was seen as an essential accompaniment.

- In the early 20th century, the association was so strong that "mustard" alone was used to describe someone or something as being excellent or "hot stuff" [5].

- Example sentences [3][7]:

 - "Little kids are always as keen as mustard to learn new things around them."
 - "He was keen as mustard to begin the new job, until he learned the pay."

Interestingly, while there was a mustard manufacturer called Keen and Sons (formed in 1742), the idiom predates the company and is not thought to be related to their brand name [5].

Citations:
[1] https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/keen-as-mustard
[2] https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/as-keen-as-mustard
[3] https://www.theidioms.com/keen-as-mustard/
[4] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/%28as%29%20keen%20as%20mustard
[5] https://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/as-keen-as-mustard.html
[6] https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/as-keen-as-mustard.2099008/
[7] https://www.yourdictionary.com/keen-as-mustard