put (one) through (one's) paces
To make one undergo a thorough testing or examination so as to evaluate one's worth, ability, or competence. We need someone who can begin handling complex projects right away, so we're going to put you through your paces during the assessment period, OK? The coach wanted to put the young boxer through her paces before he agreed to bring her on the Olympic team.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
put someone through his or her paces
Test thoroughly to see what someone can do, as in We put the new programmer though her paces, and she passed with flying colors. The idiom can refer to things as well, as in When we put the electrical system through its paces, we blew a fuse. The expression alludes to testing a horse's ability in the various paces (trot, canter, and gallop). Its use referring to horses dates from the late 1700s; its figurative use was first recorded in 1871.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.