Reality check

Posted by Baceseras January 27, 2011 at 17:27In reply to Reality check posted by Gary Martin on January 27, 2011 at 08:40:

I am deluded into believing that I am the source for the phrase "reality check". Please where can I go to find when it was, at least, first published? Is there any consensus among the experts as to the origin of the phrase?

The American Handbook of Social Psychology printed the term 'reality check' in 1935. I guess that you can make use of it now.

[But if you're writing a novel or screenplay, in the interest of historical accuracy please note that for the first few decades of its existence the phrase didn't occur outside of professional contexts: journal articles or technical manuals in the field of psychology. It wasn't until around 1970 that it leaked into everyday expression. - Baceseras.]