rustle up

Meaning

To quickly prepare or put together a meal, snack, or drink, especially when you have limited time or have to use whatever random ingredients are currently available in your kitchen. It has a warm, hospitable, and resourceful tone.

Examples

• If you're hungry, I can rustle up a quick pasta dish with what's in the fridge.

  If you're hungry, I can rustle up a quick pasta dish with what's in the fridge.

• She managed to rustle up some scrambled eggs and toast for her unexpected guests.

  She managed to rustle up some scrambled eggs and toast for her unexpected guests.

• Give me ten minutes and I'll rustle up a nice warm pot of tea and some biscuits.

  Give me ten minutes and I'll rustle up a nice warm pot of tea and some biscuits.

• We didn't have much food, but dad rustled up a surprisingly delicious soup.

  We didn't have much food, but dad rustled up a surprisingly delicious soup.

• Let's see if we can rustle up some snacks before the movie starts.

  Let's see if we can rustle up some snacks before the movie starts.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I will rustle up to make some dinner.

  ✓ I will rustle up some dinner.

  'Rustle up' is a transitive phrasal verb that takes the food item directly as an object; do not follow it with an infinitive 'to make'.

• ✗ He rustled down a quick breakfast.

  ✓ He rustled up a quick breakfast.

  The correct particle is 'up', not 'down'. 'Rustle up' means to prepare, while 'rustle down' is incorrect.

Related Expressions

Practice

• Don't worry about lunch; I can easily ___ some sandwiches.

  💡 Means to quickly make something from what you have.

  Show answer

  rustle up

• She ___ a fantastic salad using only leftovers from yesterday.

  💡 Use the past tense form.

  Show answer

  rustled up