separate wheat from chaff

Idioms  

1. Sort the valuable from the worthless, as in I hope we'll get a preview of the auction so we can separate the wheat from the chaff. This idiom alludes to the ancient practice of winnowing grain.

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Example Sentences

That kept researchers busy trying to separate wheat from chaff, and ultimately they have zeroed in on that handful of cases that have so far stumped investigators.

From Washington Post

But to lose them in this way and for this reason is also to separate wheat from chaff.

From Seattle Times

Even if there were a magical machine designed to separate wheat from chaff, and truth from fiction, the Senate is not that machine.

From Slate

The Toronto International Film Festival that winds down this weekend offers the first broad look at the new film crop—and helps separate wheat from chaff.

From Los Angeles Times

Nakamura, known as a low-key, steady-handed administrator, will likely face new stresses as his center is called upon to separate wheat from chaff in a time of intense competition for limited grant dollars.

From Science Magazine