What it means
It means very eager, properly up for it, and ready to get started straight away. It’s a British saying with a slightly old-school feel, often used with a smile when someone’s a bit extra keen. You’ll hear it in family chats, workplaces, and anywhere somebody’s showing a bit too much go-on-then energy.
Usage examples
"She’s keen as mustard to start the new project, turns up at 7:45 with a colour-coded spreadsheet and a Tesco meal deal, acting like she runs the place."
"New lad turned up twenty minutes early on day one, notebook out, keen as mustard, made the rest of us look half asleep."
"She’s keen as mustard about the hiking club, already planned three routes and bought boots she hasn’t broken in yet."
"You haven’t even sent the invite yet and Dan’s packed his bag already. Bloke’s keen as mustard."
"Asked for volunteers and Priya’s hand shot up before I’d finished the sentence. Keen as mustard, that one."
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Where it comes from
Recorded in British English from the late 19th century. It plays on an older sense of keen meaning sharp or biting, which fits mustard’s hot kick nicely. The phrase also got extra stickiness from Keen’s Mustard, a famous British brand, so the wording landed in people’s ears and stayed there.
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