the right stuff

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

the combination of qualities, courage, skill, and psychological toughness required to succeed in an extraordinarily demanding or high-stakes role, particularly one involving physical danger or extreme performance standards; the phrase was popularised by Tom Wolfe's 1979 book about the first generation of American test pilots and astronauts, who were selected and judged by an unspoken code of masculine competence and nerve that determined whether a man had what it took to push aircraft and spacecraft beyond their known limits; more broadly it describes any elusive but recognisable combination of attributes that qualifies a person for a role of exceptional difficulty