separate the men from the boys
English
editVerb
editseparate the men from the boys (third-person singular simple present separates the men from the boys, present participle separating the men from the boys, simple past and past participle separated the men from the boys)
- To identify (by means of a challenge or ordeal) which of a group of males are mature, courageous or masculine, and which are not.
- Hypernym: separate the wheat from the chaff