where the rubber meets the road
1
7.0
- idiom
:
donde la teoría se encuentra con la práctica
- Now we're getting to where the rubber meets the road.
- you know where the rubber meets the road
- where the rubber meets the road, he says
- out where the rubber meets the road
We have found, we have found where the rubber meets the road, my friend.
- We have found, we have found where the rubber meets the road, my friend.
- I think that it's helping to see where the rubber meets the road.
- The the reality is is that, yeah, where it hits me where where where the rubber meets the road for me and my ADHD is in gear switching.
Examples
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When it comes to healthcare reform, that's where the rubber meets the road for many voters.
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We have found, we have found where the rubber meets the road, my friend.
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Actions are where the rubber meets the road.
Blog text (15) -
This is where the rubber meets the road, folks.
Blog text (31) -
The the reality is is that, yeah, where it hits me where where where the rubber meets the road for me and my ADHD is in gear switching.
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The new policy will definitely show where the rubber meets the road in terms of its impact on education.
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In our project, the budget cuts are where the rubber meets the road and will affect our resources substantially.
Synonyms
8
3.8
Putting an idea or theory to use in real life
5
3.7
A place where people try new ideas or products to see if they work
3
9.3
Putting an idea or plan into action
3
5.6
A place where people test new products, skills, or ideas to see if they work
Antonyms
How Practical
27
4.4
1
7.0
149
3.8
8
4.0
∞
1.0
∞
3.2
∞
4.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
where + the + rubber + meet + the + road
The phrase conjures a literal image of tire rubber contacting the road, so learners who know 'rubber', 'meet' and 'road' can access a concrete scene. However, its conventionalized extension to mean 'the point where ideas are tested in practice' is a metaphorical, idiomatic shift that is not fully predictable from the parts; therefore a B1 learner would likely need prior exposure to grasp the abstract sense.
Etymology
Where the rubber meets the road comes from the image of a car's tire: when the rubber of the tire touches the road, the car really starts to move. So the phrase means the moment when a 'plan' or 'idea' is tested in real life.