IdiomDaily Life
English
Englishacid test
Meaning: The most crucial or important test of worth.
Example: “The real acid test for the new bridge will be the winter storms.”
Equivalents in other languages
Polish: papierek lakmusowy Literally: Litmus paper
Origin: From 19th-century gold prospecting, when nitric acid was used to tell real gold, which resists it, from base metals, which it dissolves. By the early 20th century "acid test" meant any decisive test of worth.
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