gut check

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gut check (plural gut checks)

1. (idiomatic, sometimes hyphenated (especially when used attributively)) An honest, reflective appraisal of one's true feelings concerning a matter of concern.
   • 1996 June 9, Paul Rodgers, “Two born-again brands: one yells, one whispers”, in Independent, UK, retrieved 23 August 2015:

     "I told them what we needed was a gut check to see whether we had the stomach to go ahead."

   • 2000 October 7, Nancy Gibbs, “Gore: Where Is The Love?”, in Time, retrieved 23 August 2015:

     There's an old parlor game, a kind of gut check for the heart and head. Would you rather be rich or pretty? Happy or famous? Is it better to be good or to be smart?

   • 2013 January 18, Stephen J. Ciccone, “January’s Stock Temptation”, in New York Times, retrieved 23 August 2015:

     But for investors looking for long-term winners at the start of the year, it’s best to give yourself a gut check before you buy.

   • 2014 September 9, David Ignatius, “Stepping warily onto the battlefield”, in Washington Post, retrieved 23 August 2015:

     For President Obama, this is gut-check time on Iraq. He is moving the nation back onto a pitiless battlefield, with a war plan that is long on good intentions and short on clarity about the ultimate mission.

• “gut check”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.