Put something through one's paces
Strain something to the limit / Be severely tested / Stretch something to the limit / Put something to the test
Mettere qualcosa a dura prova
Strain something to the limit / Be severely tested / Stretch something to the limit / Put something to the test
Mettere qualcosa a dura prova
Examples
With the impending taxi strike in NYC, the public transportation system will be put to the test
Con il minacciato sciopero dei taxi a New York, il sistema di trasporto pubblico sarà messo a dura provaI'm a good swimmer, but swimming in the lake's icy-cold waters for an hour has stretched my swimming capability and stamina to its limit
Sono un buon nuotatore, ma nuotare per un'ora nelle acque gelide del lago ha messo a dura prova le mie capacità e la mia resistenza fisicaEnough is enough! Caroline has the ability of stretching my patience to the limit and I can't stand it anymore!
Basta! Carolina, quando vuole, riesce a mettere la mia pazienza a dura prova e io non ne posso più!I know they're very trustworthy used-car dealers. In fact, before putting the cars on the sales floor, they put the cars through their paces
So che sono venditori di automobili usate molto seri; infatti, prima di
metterle in vendita, le controllano sottoponendole a prove severeOrigin
The mentioned “paces” are horses' paces: trot, canter and gallop. In particular, the expression refers to testing a horse's ability in its different paces.