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.
Words nearby trial by fire
trial,
trial and error,
trial balance,
trial balloon,
trial by battle,
trial by fire,
trial court,
trial denture,
trial docket,
trial examiner,
trial frame