separating the men from the boys

A form of separate 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.

Meanings

verb
  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of separate the men from the boys
Cite this entry
APA

separating the men from the boys. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/separating%20the%20men%20from%20the%20boys

MLA

“separating the men from the boys.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/separating%20the%20men%20from%20the%20boys. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “separating the men from the boys,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/separating%20the%20men%20from%20the%20boys.

Source: separating the men from the boys on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.