American slang/help

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American slang/help
Message from krafter posted on 10-04-2014 at 19:06:50 (D | E | F)
Hello,

I watched a film a few days ago, and my question is about the word "mustard" in slang. I searched for its meaning but what I found doesn't fit the context at all. Here it is :
It was about a man and a lady getting to know each other, the man asked her if he could ask her a question and she replied : "no mustard ! I hate mustard !" and then they both started laughing.
I can't figure out what "mustard" means.
Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

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Edited by lucile83 on 10-04-2014 20:12

Re: American slang/help from sherry48, posted on 10-04-2014 at 21:37:55 (D | E)
Hello.

I can't figure it out either! It seems that it must be referring to a private joke between the two of them...something that the man had previously asked her when they first met? Since both of them laughed, this seems likely. The only idiom I am aware of is "cut the mustard".

Sherry

Re: American slang/help from krafter, posted on 11-04-2014 at 10:56:56 (D | E)
Hello,
I must have missed a previous scene.
Thank you very much Sherry

Re: American slang/help from lucile83, posted on 11-04-2014 at 12:44:28 (D | E)
Hello,

It made me think of the word 'bastard' yesterday, and here is what I have just read:

5. Mustard
British slang, originating from Pilsley, Derbyshire: A weak expletive which shares both its definition and conventions of use with the word bastard. Originally, "mustard" was used to refer to a child born out of wedlock, but through a process of semantic broadening, it is now mostly used as a general pejorative term. It can be used both as a noun (see example one) and an adjectival intensifier (see example two). The word bastard is used in precisely the same way. As an antidote to your ignorance, other examples of intensifiers are: fucking, bloody, chuffing, sodding, etc.
Example one: My phone's such a mustard; the autocorrect feature has made a fool of me yet again.
Example two: Arghh, my mustard phone has caused me ridicule!
Link

I think she may be a little suspicious about the question he is going to ask her.

Re: American slang/help from bluestar, posted on 11-04-2014 at 16:26:14 (D | E)
Hello,

I have tracked down something called "The Mustard Comic Strips" which some American members may be familiar with although I've never heard of them. Here's a quote from one of them:

"Now let me do the talking. Okay. May I take your order? FRIES! HAMBURGER WITH PICKLES! NO MUSTARD! I HATE MUSTARD! I HATE MUSTARD! CHOCOLATE SHAKE! I GET ONE, TOO! AND FRIES! GABBA! WABBLE! WABBLE! AND A TOY! DID I SAY HAMBURGER? I MEANT CHEES- Didn't I just say let ME do the talking?? We weren't talking. We were yelling."

This may be what the character in the film was referring to.

Re: American slang/help from lucile83, posted on 11-04-2014 at 19:04:54 (D | E)
Hello bluestar,

Yes, you may be right
Krafter, it would be kind of you to give us some more context.

Re: American slang/help from athena200, posted on 12-04-2014 at 03:37:08 (D | E)
Hi there,
I'm American and I've never heard this expression. It must have been a British film. I have heard the expression "that doesn't cut any mustard with me," but it's a bit old-fashioned. I've joined this site to improve my French and offer any help needed.

Re: American slang/help from athena200, posted on 12-04-2014 at 03:38:47 (D | E)
p.s. to Bluestar -- that was a very interesting post! I've never heard of the Mustard Comic Strips.

Re: American slang/help from krafter, posted on 12-04-2014 at 09:42:21 (D | E)
Hello,
Thanks for all of your answers
I think that Lucile might be right, it makes sense as they barely know each other.
Here is more context : The man was invited to the lady's house. She opened the door, invited him in and said that she was going to make some coffee, then she went right up to the kitchen. He joined her and that is where the rest of the scene took place.
I'm sure it was an American film due to their pronunciation
Thanks a lot.

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