School of Hard Knocks

School of Hard Knocks

The School of Hard Knocks is an idiomatic phrase meaning the (sometimes painful) education one gets from life, often contrasted with formal education. It is a phrase which is most typically used by a person to claim a level of wisdom imparted by life experience, which they consider at least equal in merit to academic knowledge. It is a response that may be given when someone is asked about their education, especially if they do not have an extensive formal education but feel they have work/life experience that should be valued instead. It may also be used facetiously to suggest that formal education is not of practical value compared to work experience. In the UK, the phrases University of Life and School of Hard Knocks may be used interchangeably.

The University of Hard Knocks is a book by Ralph Albert Parlette (b. 1870). It was first published in 1914 and was formulated from a very popular lecture given by Mr. Parlette in chataquas and lyceum courses. The book is available from Project Gutenberg as well as a number of commercial sites.

The idea that life experience or "training" from the "School of Hard Knocks" is equivalent to formal education is often exploited by diploma mills.

References


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  • School of Hard Knocks — Single par P.O.D. extrait de l’album Little Nicky OST Sortie Décembre 2000 (rock radio) Durée 3:23 Genre Nu metal, Rapcore,Nu metal, Metal chrétien …   Wikipédia en Français

  • school of hard knocks —    Someone who goes through the school of hard knocks learns through the positive and negative experiences of life rather than through a formal classroom education.     He never went to college but the school of hard knocks made him a shrewd… …   English Idioms & idiomatic expressions

  • school of hard knocks — the experience gained from living, esp. from disappointment and hard work, regarded as a means of education: The only school he ever attended was the school of hard knocks. [1910 15, Amer.] * * * …   Universalium

  • school of hard knocks — the experience gained from living, esp. from disappointment and hard work, regarded as a means of education: The only school he ever attended was the school of hard knocks. [1910 15, Amer.] …   Useful english dictionary

  • school of hard knocks — {n. phr.} Life outside of school or college; life out in the world; the ordinary experience of learning from work and troubles. * /He never went to high school; he was educated in the school of hard knocks./ …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • school of hard knocks — {n. phr.} Life outside of school or college; life out in the world; the ordinary experience of learning from work and troubles. * /He never went to high school; he was educated in the school of hard knocks./ …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • school\ of\ hard\ knocks — n. phr. Life outside of school or college; life out in the world; the ordinary experience of learning from work and troubles. He never went to high school; he was educated in the school of hard knocks …   Словарь американских идиом

  • school of hard knocks — noun The source of an education consisting of real world experiences, especially adverse experiences. Trained, however, in the school of hard knocks, he now had learned the theory of success, and from that time on has had it. Syn: university of… …   Wiktionary

  • school of hard knocks — See the school of hard knocks …   English idioms

  • school of hard knocks — ordinary experiences of life He learned all about life in the school of hard knocks …   Idioms and examples

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