"husks," Old English ceaf "chaff," probably from Proto-Germanic *kaf- "to gnaw, chew" (cognates: Middle Dutch and Dutch kaf, German Kaff), from PIE root *gep(h)- "jaw, mouth" (see jowl (n.1)). Used figuratively for "worthless material" from late 14c.
雙語例句
1. It isn't always easy to separate the wheat from the chaff.
分清良莠并不總是很容易。
來自柯林斯例句
2. An old bird is not to be caught with chaff.
谷殼捉不到老鳥.
來自《簡明英漢詞典》
3. Old birds are not to be caught with chaff.
有經驗的人不易受騙上當.
來自《現代漢英綜合大詞典》
4. Sift out the wheat from the chaff.
把小麥的殼篩出來.
來自《現代漢英綜合大詞典》
5. When all the applications came in, our first task was to separate the wheat from the chaff.