sort the wheat from the chaff
Distinguish good bad
To sort the wheat from the chaff is to separate what's valuable from what's worthless.
The phrase comes from threshing grain, where the edible kernels must be separated from the inedible husks.
Now it applies broadly to distinguishing quality from rubbish, truth from nonsense, or capable people from incompetent ones: The interview process sorts the wheat from the chaff.
- discernPerceive with careful attention
- categorizeAssign to distinct groups
- separate the wheat from the chaffExtract what matters
- separate the men from the boysReveal who's truly capable
- evaluateDetermine value or quality
separate · identify · distinguish · classify · sift · sift through · threshing · assess · purification · prioritization · refinement · winnowing · extraction · discrimination · filter · differentiation · scrutinize · judge
sort the wheat from the chafflump together
Combine without distinction
take at face value · take the rough with the smooth · throw the baby out with the bathwater · rubber-stamp · paint with a broad brush
sort the wheat from the chaffthrow the baby out with the bathwater
Discard valuable with unwanted
tar with the same brush · settle for less · back the wrong horse · miss the point · get one's wires crossed