reality check

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

reality check
    n 1: an occasion on which one is reminded of the nature of
         things in the real world; "this program is intended as a
         reality check for CEOs"; "after all those elaborate
         productions, I felt in need of a reality check"

from Jargon File (4.4.4, 14 Aug 2003)

reality check
 n.

   1. The simplest kind of test of software or hardware; doing the
   equivalent of asking it what 2 + 2 is and seeing if you get 4. The
   software equivalent of a {smoke test}.

   2. The act of letting a {real user} try out prototype software.
   Compare {sanity check}.

from The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)

reality check

   1. The simplest kind of test of software or hardware; doing
   the equivalent of asking it what 2 + 2 is and seeing if you
   get 4.  The software equivalent of a {smoke test}.

   2. The act of letting a {real user} try out prototype
   software.

   Compare {sanity check}.

   (2007-03-15)

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