Figurative Meanings
The figurative meaning of the expression, where it is applied to tests of character, or definitive tests to other materials, became popular during and after the California Gold Rush, but was current before then, as shown by this quote from the Wisconsin paper The Columbia Reporter, November 1845: "Twenty-four years of service demonstrates his ability to stand the acid test, as Gibson’s Soap Polish has done for over thirty years."
Other examples of the figurative use of the phrase are the web sites Acid1, Acid2 and Acid3, which are designed to test web browsers for compliance with current web standards. Another example is the quick ratio method, nicknamed "acid test", used by financial analysts to assess the liquidity of a business.
The use of the term "acid test" for experiences with the psychedelic drug LSD was popularised by the Merry Pranksters, and derives from the drug's common name, "acid". Many users experience a dissolution between themselves and the "outside world".
Read more about this topic: Acid Test (gold)
Famous quotes containing the words figurative and/or meanings:
“Church neglect
And figurative use have pretty well
Reduced him to a shadow of himself.”
—Robert Frost (1874–1963)
“Words differently arranged have a different meaning, and meanings differently arranged have different effects.”
—Blaise Pascal (1623–1662)