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separate the men from the boys



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Idioms and Phrases

Distinguish 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]

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tortuous

[tawr-choo-uhs ]

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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separate schoolseparate the sheep from the goats