| 释义 |
separate the men from the boys, to separate the men from the boysTo distinguish or separate the experienced, competent, or strong participants from those who are not. We've had some easy games so far in the season, but this next one is going to separate the men from the boys. This is a business that separates the men from the boys—don't get involved unless you have what it takes.See also: boy, men, separateseparate the men from the boys and separate the sheep from the goatsFig. to separate the competent from those who are less competent. (Not necessarily just about males.) This is the kind of task that separates the men from the boys. Working in a challenging place like this really separates the sheep from the goats.See also: boy, men, separateseparate the men from the boysDistinguish between mature, experienced individuals and novices, as in The picket line will separate the men from the boys in the union. The idiom is used without respect to gender. [c. 1930] See also: boy, men, separateseparate (or sort out) the men from the boys show or prove which people in a group are truly competent, brave, or mature. 1968 House & Garden The Dry Martini…is a drink that will quickly separate the men from the boys and the girls from their principles. See also: boy, men, separateseparate the men from the boys, toTo distinguish those who are mature and competent from those who are young and green. This term, always used figuratively, was popular in business and politics from the 1930s on, often put as “This emergency will separate the men from the boys”—that is, will show who is able to deal with it effectively. The mystery writer A. A. Fair used it in Beware (1956): “This is the kind of stuff that separates the men from the boys.”See also: men, separate |