school of hard knocks
English edit
Etymology edit
1870.
Pronunciation edit
Audio (AU) (file)
Noun edit
school of hard knocks (plural schools of hard knocks)
- (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, page 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 April 26, Walter A. McDougall, “Who Were We in Vietnam?”, in New York Times, retrieved 3 Aug. 2008:
- Did Vietnam's school of hard knocks teach Americans to do peacemaking and state building right?
Synonyms edit
Translations edit
source of education by adverse experience
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