school of hard knocks

English

Etymology

1870, school + of + hard + knocks (“setbacks”).

Noun

school of hard knocks (plural schools of hard knocks)

1. (idiomatic, chiefly US) The source of an education consisting of real-world experiences, especially adverse experiences.
   • 1870, The Men Who Advertise: An Account of Successful Advertisers, New York: Rowell, p 161:

     Trained, however, in the school of hard knocks, he now had learned the theory of success, and from that time on has had it.

   • 2000, Walter A. McDougall, "Who Were We in Vietnam?," New York Times, 26 Apr. (retrieved 3 Aug. 2008):

     Did Vietnam's school of hard knocks teach Americans to do peacemaking and state building right?

Synonyms

• university of life

Translations

source of education by adverse experience

• French: please add this translation if you can
• German: please add this translation if you can
• Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Russian: please add this translation if you can
• Serbo-Croatian: please add this translation if you can
• Spanish: please add this translation if you can

See also

• experience is the best teacher