separate the sheep from the goats

separate the sheep from the goats
separate the men from the boys & separate the sheep from the goats
Fig. 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 SEPARATE THE MEN FROM THE BOYS.

Dictionary of American idioms. 2013.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • separate the sheep from the goats — To identify (esp by some test) the superior members of any group • • • Main Entry: ↑sheep * * * separate the sheep from the goats phrase to separate the people who are clever or good from the ones who are not This exercise should separate the… …   Useful english dictionary

  • separate the sheep from the goats — See SEPARATE THE MEN FROM THE BOYS …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • separate the sheep from the goats — If you separate the sheep from the goats, you sort out the good from the bad …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • separate\ the\ sheep\ from\ the\ goats — • separate the men from the boys • separate the sheep from the goats v. phr. informal To show who has strength, courage and loyalty and find who do not. When the ship hit an iceberg and sank, it separated the men from the boys. The mile run… …   Словарь американских идиом

  • separate the sheep from the goats — to separate the people who are clever or good from the ones who are not This exercise should separate the sheep from the goats …   English dictionary

  • separate the sheep from the goats —    If you separate the sheep from the goats, you sort out the good from the bad.   (Dorking School Dictionary) …   English Idioms & idiomatic expressions

  • separate the sheep from the goats — British, American & Australian, British & Australian to choose the people or things of high quality from a group of mixed quality. I ll look through the application forms and separate the sheep from the goats …   New idioms dictionary

  • Separate the sheep from the goats —   If you separate the sheep from the goats, you sort out the good from the bad …   Dictionary of English idioms

  • The Sheep and the Goats — or The Judgment of the Nations was a discourse of Jesus recorded in the New Testament. It is sometimes characterized as a Parable, although unlike most parables it does not purport to relate a story of events happening to other characters.One… …   Wikipedia

  • separate the men from the boys — {v. phr.}, {informal} To show who has strength, courage and loyalty and find who do not. * /When the ship hit an iceberg and sank, it separated the men from the boys./ * /The mile run separates the men from the boys./ …   Dictionary of American idioms

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”