Mary had an excellent idea, but when we sent up a trial balloon, the response was very negative.
•Don't start the whole project without sending up a trial balloon.
Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.
send up a trial balloon — If you test something such as an idea, a project or a product, to see how people respond to it, you send up a trial balloon. The idea seemed excellent but when they sent up a trial balloon the reaction was very negative … English Idioms & idiomatic expressions
trial balloon — n. to float, send up a trial balloon * * * send up a trial balloon to float … Combinatory dictionary
trial balloon — If you test something such as an idea, a project or a product, to see how people respond to it, you send up a trial balloon. The idea seemed excellent but when they sent up a trial balloon the reaction was very negative … English Idioms & idiomatic expressions
trial balloon — proposed program, planned policy, pilot project If you want to know public opinion, send up a trial balloon and listen to what they say … English idioms
balloon — n. 1) to fly; launch a balloon 2) to blow up, inflate; deflate a balloon 3) a balloon bursts 4) a barrage; observation balloon 5) (fig.) a trial balloon (to send up a trial balloon) * * * [bə luːn] deflate a balloon inflate launch a balloon… … Combinatory dictionary
Union Army Balloon Corps — Infobox Military Unit unit name= Union Army Balloon Corps caption= Woodblock sketch of Lowe s balloon with McClellan s Army of the Potomac as depicted in Harper s Weekly . dates= October 1861 August 1863 country= United States allegiance= Union… … Wikipedia
experiment — I (New American Roget s College Thesaurus) Trial Nouns 1. experiment, experimentation, essay, attempt; venture, adventure, speculation; trial, probation, proof (see demonstration); [acid or litmus] test, check, tryout, assay, ordeal; empiricism,… … English dictionary for students
experiment — n 1. trial, test, demonstration, examination, investigation, inquiry, questioning, research, experimentation; venture, endeavor, effort, attempt, essay, go; tryout, feeler, trial balloon, speculation; trial and error, process of elimination,… … A Note on the Style of the synonym finder
probe — v 1. investigate, look into, Inf. check out; scrutinize, study, examine thoroughly, go over step by step, go deep into, perscrutate, Obs., Rare. perscrute. 2. explore, poke around, feel around, Sl. nose around; question, ask questions, query;… … A Note on the Style of the synonym finder
Run it up the flagpole — articleissues unreferenced=November 2007 orphan=July 2007 do attempt=May 2008 Let s run it up the flagpole and see if anyone salutes it is a catchphrase which became popular in the United States during the late 1950s and early… … Wikipedia
probe — I (New American Roget s College Thesaurus) v. t. prod, pierce, stab; sound, fathom; search, investigate, sift, explore; verify. See inquiry, measurement. II (Roget s IV) n. Syn. exploration, scrutiny, inquiry; see examination 1 . v. Syn.… … English dictionary for students
