the day of reckoning

day of reckoning

The day on which something must be confronted or becomes unavoidable. This term originated in the Bible. Well, it's the day of reckoning now—whether you studied or not, you have to take the test.
See also: of, reckoning
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

the day of reckoning

or

a day of reckoning

The day of reckoning or a day of reckoning, is a time when people are forced to deal with an unpleasant situation which they have avoided until now. The day of reckoning has arrived. You can't keep writing checks on a bank account that doesn't have any money in it. We consulted a sympathetic attorney, and prepared for a day of reckoning. Note: According to the Bible, when the world ends, there will be a day of reckoning, when God will judge everyone's actions and send them either to heaven or hell.
See also: of, reckoning
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

day of reckoning

the time when past mistakes or misdeeds must be punished or paid for; a testing time when the degree of your success or failure will be revealed.
This expression refers to the Day of Judgement, on which, according to Christian tradition, human beings will have to answer to God for their transgressions.
See also: of, reckoning
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

the day of ˈreckoning

(formal) the time when good actions, successes, etc. or bad actions, failures, etc. will be made known and punished or rewarded: Tomorrow is the day of reckoning; the accountant will tell me what my profits were and how much tax I’ll have to pay.
See also: of, reckoning
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

day of reckoning

The time when one is called to account. The idea no doubt comes from the biblical Day of Judgment, when Jesus is supposed to return to earth for God’s final sentence on mankind. The day of reckoning came to have a somewhat more benign meaning, referring to paying one’s debts, or accounting for one’s actions. The expression became common in the nineteenth century. “There will be a day of reckoning sooner or later,” wrote Dickens (Nicholas Nickleby, 1838).
See also: of, reckoning
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • day of reckoning
  • make a day of (doing something)
  • make a day of doing
  • make a day of it
  • just another day at the office
  • from one day to the next
  • (just) one of those days
  • from day to day
  • breathe easily
  • day out
References in periodicals archive
Adults elsewhere in the world know that the day of reckoning comes.
Business in the twilight zone: to promote prosperity, government should support entrepreneurs, not punish them
You think you can put off the day of reckoning forever, it seems the easy money will somehow always be there.
Future looks bleak for some students in post-university challenge
"The day of reckoning is here, and we're all starting to step up to the, plate and build some new equipment.
Buying power: for high-volume scrap buyers and sellers, the inland waterways can offer distinct advantages
His Ponzi never fled because, like Enron's Kenneth Lay or WorldCom's Bernard Ebbers, he somehow convinced himself that he could forestall the day of reckoning long enough to make a buck for his investors.
Riches to rags: how legendary fraud Charles Ponzi's schemes crumbled
The cure, aimed at postponing the day of reckoning, has been worse than the illness.
Fix Is In for Argentina. (Correction Please!)
Which candidate tells laid-off West Virginia steelworkers: "One day, American workers will wake up and realize that their jobs [and] factory towns have been sacrificed--to save the bacon of the `investment community.' When they do, the day of reckoning will be at hand"?
Buchanan to the Left of Them
Equally important, although some advocates of changing the burden of proof suggest that the problems can be resolved by delaying the burden shift until a case goes to court, all that would do is postpone the day of reckoning. Indeed, such a provision would encourage more taxpayers to bypass administrative remedies, thereby consuming time and resources of not only the IRS but also the courts.
Proposal to shift burden of proof
When the day of reckoning comes it will be a penalty shoot-out.
VOICE OF THE PEOPLE; Comment
Germany and Japan may have been lulled by their protective walls into a false sense of security and stability, little suspecting that the day of reckoning will wreak even greater havoc and make the adjustments both more urgent and more politically painful.
No trade, no gain
But the day of reckoning for such leaders, like US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin, would certainly come, Gascon said.
CHR head: Rights violators' day of reckoning coming
AS the day of reckoning dawns, I am appalled a Scotland riven from top to bottom and aghast at the prospect of the economic chaos if we break up the UK.
Comment of the Day PS20
Sentencing him for 10 charges of theft, Mr Justice Holroyde said: "You remained absent from this country for 17 years, and so delayed for nearly two decades the day of reckoning which has finally arrived."
Tycoon jailed for stealing EUR36.1million 'out of greed' COURTS
As the series draws to a close, it's the day of reckoning at Kirke University, and the faculty members remain on tenterhooks as George delivers her verdict.
Will comedy make grade? Comedy
Your FREE 32-page Best of Liverpool lifestyle guide Joe Riley on the day of reckoning for Gordon Brown OF LIVERPOOL MAY ISSUE 2010 Pastel shades that are good enough to eat SWEET LIKE CANDY Spruce up your outdoor space GREAT OUTDOORS Liverpool gets 'Carried' away with Sex And The City 2 THE FAB FOUR Supplement ASHION PLACES FACES FOOD BEAUTY HOMES TRAVEL WRIST BANDS FOR LIVERPOOL SOUND CITY WIN LIVERPOOL COMEDY FESTIVAL // STYLE MAKE-OVER // SALON SPOTLIGHT // CYCLING NEWS // HEALTHY EATING We enjoy a spot of afternoon tea at some of Liverpool's finest tearooms SHALL I BE MOTHER?
IN TOMORROW..
THE day of reckoning finally arrived for clubs seeking promotion to the UniBond Football League following the re-organisation of the non-Leaguefootball pyramid.
FOOTBALL: Town joy after UniBond step-up; NWC League Round-up