it is not the cheese
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Not the right thing; said of something of rather dubious propriety or morals.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “it is not the cheese” mean?
Not the right thing; said of something of rather dubious propriety or morals.
Is “it is not the cheese” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.