The use of the indefinite *it* is common, as in the sentence >He can't get it up! Less common is an expression used in the play "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof": >"[He] can't cut the mustard." See [this answer][1]. In other words, the man with E.D. is not up to the task. This phrase is used more widely without the sexual connotation, as in the following sentence: >Even after months of physical training, the runner couldn't cut the mustard in the marathon. In other words, he couldn't "make it" as a marathon runner. [1]: https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/23763/what-is-the-origin-of-the-phrase-cut-the-mustard