Keen as mustard

Posted by Damian on May 27, 2005

I noticed someone asking about the origin of the phrase "as keen as mustard". I had always guessed it was a brand name and today found a piece of information that seems to confirm this: England's modern centre, Norwich, only joined the club in the 19th century, when Jeremiah Colman switched from grinding flour to mustard seeds. In 1903 he acquired the London mustard-makers, Keen, the company which supplied the city's chop and ale houses, and whose name inspired the phrase 'As keen as mustard'

See 'As keen as mustard' - meaning and origin.