smell test

A hypothetical pass/fail "test" that gauges the moral acceptability or trustworthiness of someone or something. The new pro-drilling bill that's being put through Congress doesn't pass the smell test, and many are suspicious that Big Oil has been responsible for its inception.

See also: smell, test

See also:

fail the smell test
not pass the smell test
pass the smell test
scrape through
trust, but verify
verify
stop at
stop at (something)
babysitter test
rats deserting a sinking ship

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