smell test

[ smel test ]

noun

1. the practice of determining the freshness of fish or other food with the nose rather than the eye.
2. an instinctive assessment of whether someone or something is ethical and genuine or deceptive and corrupt.

Word History and Origins

Origin of smell test¹

First recorded in 1900–05

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. pass the smell test, to be found ethical or genuine, typically by an instinctive sense or quick, informal assessment (usually used in the negative):

   Their next concern was would she pass the smell test? Although the age of the painting was scientifically verified, it didn’t pass the smell test with art historians.

Example Sentences

The more important smell test is one of tone: that cocktail of cleverness, warmth, and mania that marked the Henson years.

From The Daily Beast

The protagonist of every book Harlequin puts out has to pass an editorial smell test as being “realistic.”

From The Daily Beast

The first line of defense against oil-tainted seafood: an old-fashioned smell test.

From The Daily Beast

The smell test may be a good cautionary exercise but it is no substitute for clear and precise laws.

From The Daily Beast