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Sniff test

Sniff test

Meaning

Sniff an item of clothing (or food) to check if it might be suitable to wear (or eat).

Examples

I’ve worn that shirt before but when I gave the underarms the sniff test I thought I’d be okay to wear it again.

Where did it originate?

Late 20th century.

Where is it used?

Mostly Britain, but becoming more common elsewhere.

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About the Author

Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.
Sniff test

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