the.com/litmus test
One question that quietly decides everything, without admitting it's the whole exam.
means A single criterion or question used to make a quick, definitive judgment about someone's character, beliefs, or a situation's true nature.
from Borrowed straight from chemistry: litmus is a dye extracted from lichens that turns red in acid and blue in base, giving a fast, unambiguous readout. By the 20th century, English speakers had lifted the term into politics and everyday judgment — a 'litmus test' question works the same way, sorting people or situations into categories with one quick reaction, no lab coat required.
- origin
- named after actual litmus, a pH-sensing dye
- logic flaw
- treats one yes-or-no as proof of a worldview
- politics use
- shorthand for the question that ends the interview
- real chemistry
- red means acid, blue means base, nothing else