trial by fire


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Related to trial by fire: Baptism by fire

trial by fire

A situation in which one is placed under extreme pressure or stress and expected as a means of testing one's ability to learn or perform. I was thrown right in the middle of a huge project as soon as I was hired, so it was a bit of a trial by fire. The master's program is something of a trial by fire compared to the relatively lax structure of my bachelor's degree.
See also: by, fire, trial
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

trial by fire

A test of one's abilities to perform well under pressure, as in Finishing this buge list of chores in time for the wedding is really a trial by fire. This expression alludes to the medieval practice of determining a person's guilt by having them undergo an ordeal, such as walking barefoot through a fire.
See also: by, fire, trial
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.

trial by fire

A test of one's abilities, especially the ability to perform well under pressure.
See also: by, fire, trial
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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References in periodicals archive ?
"Trial by Fire: Protecting Federal Records." NFPA Journal March/April 2002.
Records under fire: a look at the pros and cons of compartmentalizing records centers and why this issue is so hotly debated
Again, it was trial by fire, but this time he was confined within the murky walls of a bleak period set not as an intruder or an observer, but as a painter of light.
Trial by fire: a journey with Richard Leiterman
"I got a real trial by fire there, and then they hired me for the next show," Collins says, and then the next - since late 1993, he has co-designed nearly all of the company's productions.
John Collins: accidents will happen
"Do not be surprised, beloved, that a trial by fire is occurring in your midst.
Vote: obey God, not man
Their frustration of no time to practice their arts as they care for babies and husband (the experience Adrienne Rich called "the trial by fire") makes them grapple for a toehold: "Certain women survive / Their erotic petals and pollen, grasp dirt, bite stone / Muttering I can't go on, I'll go on." Even more disheartening is their realization that their place as women in the Jewish orthodoxy cannot be accepted, although they are among the faithful.
The Crack in Everything
news executives, was the trial by fire of Bill Clinton's young presidency.
Top stories of 1993
After this trial by fire, the owners of the Spirit of Oregon dinner train are setting up headquarters in Roy, a farming community a few miles north of Forest Grove in rural Washington County.
Cooking up a dinner train
Did Yosemite's burn program pass its trial by fire?
Burning questions: sifting through the ashes for a verdict on Yosemite's 'prescribed burns.' (Cover Story)
I have been president of our chapter for two years, and it has been a frustrating ordeal at times because when I became president I had just become a member of SPJ as well - trial by fire maybe?
Limping, but not lost
"I've always thought I would retire with some culinary venture in play, and I thought Cook of the Week would be a good platform of trial by fire to see if I have the chops."
Oscar Chapa of Volo
Now read the story of Bodyline - his trial by fire. Learn of the pride and courage that great cricketers share with generals and politicians.
The key moment cricket changed
Despite every trial by fire that we put him through...
Aditi Rao Hydari is all praise for 'Padmavati' director
Though the Americans were pushed back, and Philadelphia eventually fell to the British, the Americans' ferocity and valor kept their forces from being decimated, and their trial by fire proved that the fledgling nation could fight on even terms with a long-established empire.
Brandywine
* Players will have to play Mission 3: Trial By Fire
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Oakland, CA, July 09, 2013 --(PR.com)-- Trial By Fire Solutions, a leading eClinical solution provider specializing in clinical study management applications, today announced the expanded user base of SimpleCTMS into the area of academic research organizations.
Leading University Academic Research Organization Selects SimpleCTMS
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