Is there a single word meaning figuratively 'separate wheat from chaff' (good from bad), about teaching ideas?

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Is there a single word meaning 'separate wheat from chaff'?

The closest I've found is winnow but it doesn't really capture the sentiment.

I'm looking for a word to help describe a person, an educator, who distills and clarifies the most valuable core ideas.

(Does it seem odd such a word would not be common? Is is because separate, and it's synonyms, already imply the reason for division is already, always, about good and bad?)

idioms synonyms

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edited 24 mins ago

smci

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asked 9 hours ago

Randy Zeitman

1495

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  What's wrong with distills? Do you mean make complex ideas simple? Frankly, I don't much like your notion here. Nowadays, wheat and chaff both serve a purpose.
  – Lambie
  9 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


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  Oops, I gave answer about "winnowing" and "threshing", deleted. So you want a metaphorical winnowing or threshing?
  – Zebrafish
  9 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


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  Could you include an example sentence showing how you want to use the word? You can put a ___ or other placeholder where the word would go. This will help give answerers a clearer idea of what you're looking for, and it's technically required for this kind of question. (If you want to include more than one possible example, that's great—the more info you give us about your goals, the better.) Good luck!
  – 1006a
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


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  Distills I thought means 'refine' not necessarily separate good from bad. But I admit that's being very picky. "I've taken the methods presently in use, analyzed them, and am reframing the core wisdom. I've __________ the material."
  – Randy Zeitman
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


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  @RandyZeitman distil: 4. To separate or extract the essential elements / 6. (tr) to extract the essence of as if by distillation / 4. to extract the essential elements of. Seems to say "essential", not good or bad, though supposedly the distillate is the good stuff. Don't know.
  – Zebrafish
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

 | 
show 2 more comments

up vote
7
down vote

favorite

1

Is there a single word meaning 'separate wheat from chaff'?

The closest I've found is winnow but it doesn't really capture the sentiment.

I'm looking for a word to help describe a person, an educator, who distills and clarifies the most valuable core ideas.

(Does it seem odd such a word would not be common? Is is because separate, and it's synonyms, already imply the reason for division is already, always, about good and bad?)

idioms synonyms

share|improve this question

edited 24 mins ago

smci

1,445913

asked 9 hours ago

Randy Zeitman

1495

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  What's wrong with distills? Do you mean make complex ideas simple? Frankly, I don't much like your notion here. Nowadays, wheat and chaff both serve a purpose.
  – Lambie
  9 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Oops, I gave answer about "winnowing" and "threshing", deleted. So you want a metaphorical winnowing or threshing?
  – Zebrafish
  9 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  3
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Could you include an example sentence showing how you want to use the word? You can put a ___ or other placeholder where the word would go. This will help give answerers a clearer idea of what you're looking for, and it's technically required for this kind of question. (If you want to include more than one possible example, that's great—the more info you give us about your goals, the better.) Good luck!
  – 1006a
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


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  Distills I thought means 'refine' not necessarily separate good from bad. But I admit that's being very picky. "I've taken the methods presently in use, analyzed them, and am reframing the core wisdom. I've __________ the material."
  – Randy Zeitman
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @RandyZeitman distil: 4. To separate or extract the essential elements / 6. (tr) to extract the essence of as if by distillation / 4. to extract the essential elements of. Seems to say "essential", not good or bad, though supposedly the distillate is the good stuff. Don't know.
  – Zebrafish
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

 | 
show 2 more comments

up vote
7
down vote

favorite

1

up vote
7
down vote

favorite

1

1

Is there a single word meaning 'separate wheat from chaff'?

The closest I've found is winnow but it doesn't really capture the sentiment.

I'm looking for a word to help describe a person, an educator, who distills and clarifies the most valuable core ideas.

(Does it seem odd such a word would not be common? Is is because separate, and it's synonyms, already imply the reason for division is already, always, about good and bad?)

idioms synonyms

share|improve this question

edited 24 mins ago

smci

1,445913

asked 9 hours ago

Randy Zeitman

1495

Is there a single word meaning 'separate wheat from chaff'?

The closest I've found is winnow but it doesn't really capture the sentiment.

I'm looking for a word to help describe a person, an educator, who distills and clarifies the most valuable core ideas.

(Does it seem odd such a word would not be common? Is is because separate, and it's synonyms, already imply the reason for division is already, always, about good and bad?)

idioms synonyms

idioms synonyms

share|improve this question

edited 24 mins ago

smci

1,445913

asked 9 hours ago

Randy Zeitman

1495

share|improve this question

edited 24 mins ago

smci

1,445913

asked 9 hours ago

Randy Zeitman

1495

share|improve this question

share|improve this question

edited 24 mins ago

smci

1,445913

edited 24 mins ago

smci

1,445913

edited 24 mins ago

smci

1,445913

1,445913

asked 9 hours ago

Randy Zeitman

1495

asked 9 hours ago

Randy Zeitman

1495

asked 9 hours ago

Randy Zeitman

1495

1495

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  What's wrong with distills? Do you mean make complex ideas simple? Frankly, I don't much like your notion here. Nowadays, wheat and chaff both serve a purpose.
  – Lambie
  9 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Oops, I gave answer about "winnowing" and "threshing", deleted. So you want a metaphorical winnowing or threshing?
  – Zebrafish
  9 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  3
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Could you include an example sentence showing how you want to use the word? You can put a ___ or other placeholder where the word would go. This will help give answerers a clearer idea of what you're looking for, and it's technically required for this kind of question. (If you want to include more than one possible example, that's great—the more info you give us about your goals, the better.) Good luck!
  – 1006a
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Distills I thought means 'refine' not necessarily separate good from bad. But I admit that's being very picky. "I've taken the methods presently in use, analyzed them, and am reframing the core wisdom. I've __________ the material."
  – Randy Zeitman
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @RandyZeitman distil: 4. To separate or extract the essential elements / 6. (tr) to extract the essence of as if by distillation / 4. to extract the essential elements of. Seems to say "essential", not good or bad, though supposedly the distillate is the good stuff. Don't know.
  – Zebrafish
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

 | 
show 2 more comments

• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  What's wrong with distills? Do you mean make complex ideas simple? Frankly, I don't much like your notion here. Nowadays, wheat and chaff both serve a purpose.
  – Lambie
  9 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Oops, I gave answer about "winnowing" and "threshing", deleted. So you want a metaphorical winnowing or threshing?
  – Zebrafish
  9 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  3
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Could you include an example sentence showing how you want to use the word? You can put a ___ or other placeholder where the word would go. This will help give answerers a clearer idea of what you're looking for, and it's technically required for this kind of question. (If you want to include more than one possible example, that's great—the more info you give us about your goals, the better.) Good luck!
  – 1006a
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Distills I thought means 'refine' not necessarily separate good from bad. But I admit that's being very picky. "I've taken the methods presently in use, analyzed them, and am reframing the core wisdom. I've __________ the material."
  – Randy Zeitman
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @RandyZeitman distil: 4. To separate or extract the essential elements / 6. (tr) to extract the essence of as if by distillation / 4. to extract the essential elements of. Seems to say "essential", not good or bad, though supposedly the distillate is the good stuff. Don't know.
  – Zebrafish
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

1

1

What's wrong with distills? Do you mean make complex ideas simple? Frankly, I don't much like your notion here. Nowadays, wheat and chaff both serve a purpose.
– Lambie
9 hours ago

What's wrong with distills? Do you mean make complex ideas simple? Frankly, I don't much like your notion here. Nowadays, wheat and chaff both serve a purpose.
– Lambie
9 hours ago

1

1

Oops, I gave answer about "winnowing" and "threshing", deleted. So you want a metaphorical winnowing or threshing?
– Zebrafish
9 hours ago

Oops, I gave answer about "winnowing" and "threshing", deleted. So you want a metaphorical winnowing or threshing?
– Zebrafish
9 hours ago

3

3

Could you include an example sentence showing how you want to use the word? You can put a ___ or other placeholder where the word would go. This will help give answerers a clearer idea of what you're looking for, and it's technically required for this kind of question. (If you want to include more than one possible example, that's great—the more info you give us about your goals, the better.) Good luck!
– 1006a
8 hours ago

Could you include an example sentence showing how you want to use the word? You can put a ___ or other placeholder where the word would go. This will help give answerers a clearer idea of what you're looking for, and it's technically required for this kind of question. (If you want to include more than one possible example, that's great—the more info you give us about your goals, the better.) Good luck!
– 1006a
8 hours ago

1

1

Distills I thought means 'refine' not necessarily separate good from bad. But I admit that's being very picky. "I've taken the methods presently in use, analyzed them, and am reframing the core wisdom. I've __________ the material."
– Randy Zeitman
8 hours ago

Distills I thought means 'refine' not necessarily separate good from bad. But I admit that's being very picky. "I've taken the methods presently in use, analyzed them, and am reframing the core wisdom. I've __________ the material."
– Randy Zeitman
8 hours ago

@RandyZeitman distil: 4. To separate or extract the essential elements / 6. (tr) to extract the essence of as if by distillation / 4. to extract the essential elements of. Seems to say "essential", not good or bad, though supposedly the distillate is the good stuff. Don't know.
– Zebrafish
8 hours ago

@RandyZeitman distil: 4. To separate or extract the essential elements / 6. (tr) to extract the essence of as if by distillation / 4. to extract the essential elements of. Seems to say "essential", not good or bad, though supposedly the distillate is the good stuff. Don't know.
– Zebrafish
8 hours ago

 | 
show 2 more comments

11 Answers
11

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up vote
9
down vote

The word I would use is distill:

extract the essential meaning or most important aspects of. –NOAD

Moreover it’s so common and fitting that you yourself used it in your post.

share|improve this answer

answered 8 hours ago

Laurel

26.3k64996

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  I guess so. Thank you.
  – Randy Zeitman
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

up vote
9
down vote

cull vocabulary.com

verb: remove something that has been rejected; look for and gather

noun: the person or thing that is rejected or set aside as inferior
in quality

As in:

If you decide to make a literary anthology, you must cull the best
possible stories and then arrange them in a pleasing manner.

Though we are encouraged to use our own words to explain answers, I can do no better than to quote my reference:

When you use cull as a verb, the things you gather can be the good or
bad ones from a group. In your garden, you can cull the good
vegetables for dinner, or the rotten ones for the compost pile. In
fact, often no judgment of quality is made, as when you cull
information from the Internet for your next research project. The
sorting through will come later. However, if you use the word as a
noun, a cull is a selection of things you intend to reject, often in
reference to a group of animals. An outbreak of a disease such as
foot-and-mouth disease can cause authorities to order a cull of farm
pigs.

share|improve this answer

edited 4 hours ago

answered 9 hours ago

lbf

15.2k21558

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  Surely 'cull' usually means to select the inferior ones for removal?
  – Kate Bunting
  8 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  


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  That's a good one. Thank you. Does inculcate derive from that?
  – Randy Zeitman
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


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  @KateBunting Yep, I thought that's what the question was about, "who distills and clarifies the most valuable core ideas." This is the best answer so far in my opinion. Except that it reminds me of controlling cute animal populations by, you know... Edit: Sorry, no, cull means selecting the best ones, doesn't it? You remove the unwanted ones.
  – Zebrafish
  8 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  


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  @RandyZeitman Doesn't look like it. Inculcate: Latin, in + calcāre, (to trample). Cull: From Old French "cuillir", which in turn comes from Latin "colligere" (to gather). Interestingly our "collect" comes from this same Latin "colligere".
  – Zebrafish
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


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  @Zebrafish - I think you misunderstood my comment. I was saying that 'to cull' meant to select poor specimens, as in choosing the weaker animals when it's necessary to reduce their numbers. But on checking the definition I see it can also mean to select good examples of something.
  – Kate Bunting
  4 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

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up vote
5
down vote

The technical terms are thresh or winnow but I have never heard these used metaphorically. The metaphorical term is separate the wheat from the chaff.

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answered 9 hours ago

David Robinson

948210

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  I've never heard thresh used metaphorically, but I've often heard (and used) phrases like winnow down the options. So I think this is a good answer even if you don't. :)
  – Kevin Krumwiede
  3 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  


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  Sorry I didn’t see your answer before I offered mine
  – Kris
  2 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

up vote
4
down vote

I would suggest 'weed out' as being idiomatically metaphorical, yet retaining an agricultural background association.

It is not a single word but it is a phrasal verb.

Weed out (phrasal verb) : to remove (people or things that are not wanted) from a group

Merriam Webster

FCA promises to weed out sexual harassers

FT Adviser - 17th Oct 2018

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answered 8 hours ago

Nigel J

16.5k94077

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up vote
3
down vote

sift: to go through especially to sort out what is useful or valuable "sifted the evidence"

pare (down):to trim off an outside, excess, or irregular part of

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answered 2 hours ago

Keith McClary

1837

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up vote
1
down vote

To discriminate seems to fit the bill.

to recognize a distinction; differentiate.

To discriminate between good and bad, or the wheat and the chaff, meets your criteria.

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answered 3 hours ago

WhatRoughBeast

7,7411124

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up vote
1
down vote

• Our professor refines the curriculum so well that we are able to appreciate its finer points.

Refined (adj.) 1570s, "subtle;" 1580s, "elegant;" 1590s, "purified," past-participle adjective from refine (v.).

Fine (adj.) mid-13c., "unblemished, refined, pure, free of impurities," also "of high quality, choice," from Old French fin "perfected, of highest quality" (12c.), a back-formation from finire or else from Latin finis "that which divides, a boundary, limit, border, end" (see finish (v.)); hence "acme, peak, height," as in finis boni "the highest good." The English word is from c. 1300 as "rich, valuable, costly;" also in a moral sense "true, genuine; faithful, constant." From late 14c. as "expertly fashioned, well or skillfully made," also, of cloth, "delicately wrought." Of weapons or edges, "sharp" from c. 1400. In reference to quality of gold and silver, late 15c.

Online Etymology Dictionary

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answered 20 mins ago

Bread

5,23121132

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up vote
0
down vote

I use pruning. I think it's quite versatile and in fact is used by discord to describe kicking out users who are bad or inactive.

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answered 5 hours ago

convertedquorauser

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up vote
0
down vote

Hone, perhaps - To refine or practise (a skill, technique, etc.); to make more effective or intense (OED).

So,

"I've taken the methods presently in use, analyzed them, and am reframing the core wisdom. I've honed the material."

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answered 2 hours ago

Dan

14.6k32156

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up vote
0
down vote

There are lots of candidate words, but the appropriate choice of word depends hugely on what is being said about the distribution of the quality of ideas:

• 
  cull/ filter/ prune/ triage (if some ideas are outright terrible and need to be summarily rejected, e.g. Earth was colonized from the dark side of the moon)


• 
  sift (if ideas seem plausible, and we need to discern better from worse, more helpful from less)


• 
  distill/ craft/ develop/ refine/ finesse/ amalgamate/ synthesize (if ideas are ok but need to developed, clarified, articulated better and possibly put together to make a more useful idea


• 
  select, or its hip cousin curate, say nothing about the wider set of ideas, and merely say you (possibly arbitrarily) picked some to discuss/ focus on/ illustrate


• similarly separate (/ categorize). In physics, we can separate ideas in forces and mechanics from ideas in heat and light from ideas in radiation, but that merely says they can be split into different categories, it says nothing about whether some are worse than others, or interconnected or not


• 
  generalize/ reduce/ condense/ summarize/ canonicalize Perhaps goes beyond your intended scope, but this applies where multiple ideas from the same or different categories are the same fundamental principle

To your second question: "(Does it seem odd such a word would not be common? Is is because separate, and it's synonyms, already imply the reason for division is already, always, about good and bad?)"

That is because there are multiple different candidates, as above. Yes it depends on what the verb implies about quality, if anything, and how much effort the discernment process takes. separate is not necessarily good from bad, it could be simple from complex, advanced from introductory, scalar from vector, general or common from special-case or rare, well-known from little-known etc.

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edited 1 hour ago

answered 1 hour ago

smci

1,445913

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up vote
-4
down vote

distinguish ? ... 'the professor had an innate ability to distinguish his students'

differentiate ?

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edited 3 hours ago

answered 4 hours ago

Realin Theoryin

11

New contributor

Realin Theoryin is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Probably not. I'd take this to mean that he could distinguish Suzie from Paul, etc.
  – Jim
  4 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Please note, the system has flagged your answer for closure as "low-quality because of its length and content." An answer on this site is expected to be authoritative, detailed, and explain why it is correct. You can edit your answer to avoid closure - for example, adding a dictionary definition for your proposed words, linked to the source. For further guidance, see How to Answer. :-)
  – Chappo
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  

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11 Answers
11

active

oldest

votes

11 Answers
11

active

oldest

votes

active

oldest

votes

active

oldest

votes

up vote
9
down vote

The word I would use is distill:

extract the essential meaning or most important aspects of. –NOAD

Moreover it’s so common and fitting that you yourself used it in your post.

share|improve this answer

answered 8 hours ago

Laurel

26.3k64996

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  I guess so. Thank you.
  – Randy Zeitman
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

up vote
9
down vote

The word I would use is distill:

extract the essential meaning or most important aspects of. –NOAD

Moreover it’s so common and fitting that you yourself used it in your post.

share|improve this answer

answered 8 hours ago

Laurel

26.3k64996

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  I guess so. Thank you.
  – Randy Zeitman
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

up vote
9
down vote

up vote
9
down vote

The word I would use is distill:

extract the essential meaning or most important aspects of. –NOAD

Moreover it’s so common and fitting that you yourself used it in your post.

share|improve this answer

answered 8 hours ago

Laurel

26.3k64996

The word I would use is distill:

extract the essential meaning or most important aspects of. –NOAD

Moreover it’s so common and fitting that you yourself used it in your post.

share|improve this answer

answered 8 hours ago

Laurel

26.3k64996

share|improve this answer

share|improve this answer

answered 8 hours ago

Laurel

26.3k64996

answered 8 hours ago

Laurel

26.3k64996

answered 8 hours ago

Laurel

26.3k64996

26.3k64996

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  I guess so. Thank you.
  – Randy Zeitman
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  I guess so. Thank you.
  – Randy Zeitman
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

I guess so. Thank you.
– Randy Zeitman
8 hours ago

I guess so. Thank you.
– Randy Zeitman
8 hours ago

add a comment | 

up vote
9
down vote

cull vocabulary.com

verb: remove something that has been rejected; look for and gather

noun: the person or thing that is rejected or set aside as inferior
in quality

As in:

If you decide to make a literary anthology, you must cull the best
possible stories and then arrange them in a pleasing manner.

Though we are encouraged to use our own words to explain answers, I can do no better than to quote my reference:

When you use cull as a verb, the things you gather can be the good or
bad ones from a group. In your garden, you can cull the good
vegetables for dinner, or the rotten ones for the compost pile. In
fact, often no judgment of quality is made, as when you cull
information from the Internet for your next research project. The
sorting through will come later. However, if you use the word as a
noun, a cull is a selection of things you intend to reject, often in
reference to a group of animals. An outbreak of a disease such as
foot-and-mouth disease can cause authorities to order a cull of farm
pigs.

share|improve this answer

edited 4 hours ago

answered 9 hours ago

lbf

15.2k21558

• 
  
  
  

  
  3
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Surely 'cull' usually means to select the inferior ones for removal?
  – Kate Bunting
  8 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  That's a good one. Thank you. Does inculcate derive from that?
  – Randy Zeitman
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @KateBunting Yep, I thought that's what the question was about, "who distills and clarifies the most valuable core ideas." This is the best answer so far in my opinion. Except that it reminds me of controlling cute animal populations by, you know... Edit: Sorry, no, cull means selecting the best ones, doesn't it? You remove the unwanted ones.
  – Zebrafish
  8 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @RandyZeitman Doesn't look like it. Inculcate: Latin, in + calcāre, (to trample). Cull: From Old French "cuillir", which in turn comes from Latin "colligere" (to gather). Interestingly our "collect" comes from this same Latin "colligere".
  – Zebrafish
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @Zebrafish - I think you misunderstood my comment. I was saying that 'to cull' meant to select poor specimens, as in choosing the weaker animals when it's necessary to reduce their numbers. But on checking the definition I see it can also mean to select good examples of something.
  – Kate Bunting
  4 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

 | 
show 4 more comments

up vote
9
down vote

cull vocabulary.com

verb: remove something that has been rejected; look for and gather

noun: the person or thing that is rejected or set aside as inferior
in quality

As in:

If you decide to make a literary anthology, you must cull the best
possible stories and then arrange them in a pleasing manner.

Though we are encouraged to use our own words to explain answers, I can do no better than to quote my reference:

When you use cull as a verb, the things you gather can be the good or
bad ones from a group. In your garden, you can cull the good
vegetables for dinner, or the rotten ones for the compost pile. In
fact, often no judgment of quality is made, as when you cull
information from the Internet for your next research project. The
sorting through will come later. However, if you use the word as a
noun, a cull is a selection of things you intend to reject, often in
reference to a group of animals. An outbreak of a disease such as
foot-and-mouth disease can cause authorities to order a cull of farm
pigs.

share|improve this answer

edited 4 hours ago

answered 9 hours ago

lbf

15.2k21558

• 
  
  
  

  
  3
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Surely 'cull' usually means to select the inferior ones for removal?
  – Kate Bunting
  8 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  That's a good one. Thank you. Does inculcate derive from that?
  – Randy Zeitman
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @KateBunting Yep, I thought that's what the question was about, "who distills and clarifies the most valuable core ideas." This is the best answer so far in my opinion. Except that it reminds me of controlling cute animal populations by, you know... Edit: Sorry, no, cull means selecting the best ones, doesn't it? You remove the unwanted ones.
  – Zebrafish
  8 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @RandyZeitman Doesn't look like it. Inculcate: Latin, in + calcāre, (to trample). Cull: From Old French "cuillir", which in turn comes from Latin "colligere" (to gather). Interestingly our "collect" comes from this same Latin "colligere".
  – Zebrafish
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @Zebrafish - I think you misunderstood my comment. I was saying that 'to cull' meant to select poor specimens, as in choosing the weaker animals when it's necessary to reduce their numbers. But on checking the definition I see it can also mean to select good examples of something.
  – Kate Bunting
  4 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

 | 
show 4 more comments

up vote
9
down vote

up vote
9
down vote

cull vocabulary.com

verb: remove something that has been rejected; look for and gather

noun: the person or thing that is rejected or set aside as inferior
in quality

As in:

If you decide to make a literary anthology, you must cull the best
possible stories and then arrange them in a pleasing manner.

Though we are encouraged to use our own words to explain answers, I can do no better than to quote my reference:

When you use cull as a verb, the things you gather can be the good or
bad ones from a group. In your garden, you can cull the good
vegetables for dinner, or the rotten ones for the compost pile. In
fact, often no judgment of quality is made, as when you cull
information from the Internet for your next research project. The
sorting through will come later. However, if you use the word as a
noun, a cull is a selection of things you intend to reject, often in
reference to a group of animals. An outbreak of a disease such as
foot-and-mouth disease can cause authorities to order a cull of farm
pigs.

share|improve this answer

edited 4 hours ago

answered 9 hours ago

lbf

15.2k21558

cull vocabulary.com

verb: remove something that has been rejected; look for and gather

noun: the person or thing that is rejected or set aside as inferior
in quality

As in:

If you decide to make a literary anthology, you must cull the best
possible stories and then arrange them in a pleasing manner.

Though we are encouraged to use our own words to explain answers, I can do no better than to quote my reference:

When you use cull as a verb, the things you gather can be the good or
bad ones from a group. In your garden, you can cull the good
vegetables for dinner, or the rotten ones for the compost pile. In
fact, often no judgment of quality is made, as when you cull
information from the Internet for your next research project. The
sorting through will come later. However, if you use the word as a
noun, a cull is a selection of things you intend to reject, often in
reference to a group of animals. An outbreak of a disease such as
foot-and-mouth disease can cause authorities to order a cull of farm
pigs.

share|improve this answer

edited 4 hours ago

answered 9 hours ago

lbf

15.2k21558

share|improve this answer

share|improve this answer

edited 4 hours ago

edited 4 hours ago

edited 4 hours ago

answered 9 hours ago

lbf

15.2k21558

answered 9 hours ago

lbf

15.2k21558

answered 9 hours ago

lbf

15.2k21558

15.2k21558

• 
  
  
  

  
  3
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Surely 'cull' usually means to select the inferior ones for removal?
  – Kate Bunting
  8 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  That's a good one. Thank you. Does inculcate derive from that?
  – Randy Zeitman
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @KateBunting Yep, I thought that's what the question was about, "who distills and clarifies the most valuable core ideas." This is the best answer so far in my opinion. Except that it reminds me of controlling cute animal populations by, you know... Edit: Sorry, no, cull means selecting the best ones, doesn't it? You remove the unwanted ones.
  – Zebrafish
  8 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @RandyZeitman Doesn't look like it. Inculcate: Latin, in + calcāre, (to trample). Cull: From Old French "cuillir", which in turn comes from Latin "colligere" (to gather). Interestingly our "collect" comes from this same Latin "colligere".
  – Zebrafish
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @Zebrafish - I think you misunderstood my comment. I was saying that 'to cull' meant to select poor specimens, as in choosing the weaker animals when it's necessary to reduce their numbers. But on checking the definition I see it can also mean to select good examples of something.
  – Kate Bunting
  4 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

 | 
show 4 more comments

• 
  
  
  

  
  3
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Surely 'cull' usually means to select the inferior ones for removal?
  – Kate Bunting
  8 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  That's a good one. Thank you. Does inculcate derive from that?
  – Randy Zeitman
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @KateBunting Yep, I thought that's what the question was about, "who distills and clarifies the most valuable core ideas." This is the best answer so far in my opinion. Except that it reminds me of controlling cute animal populations by, you know... Edit: Sorry, no, cull means selecting the best ones, doesn't it? You remove the unwanted ones.
  – Zebrafish
  8 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @RandyZeitman Doesn't look like it. Inculcate: Latin, in + calcāre, (to trample). Cull: From Old French "cuillir", which in turn comes from Latin "colligere" (to gather). Interestingly our "collect" comes from this same Latin "colligere".
  – Zebrafish
  8 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  1
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  @Zebrafish - I think you misunderstood my comment. I was saying that 'to cull' meant to select poor specimens, as in choosing the weaker animals when it's necessary to reduce their numbers. But on checking the definition I see it can also mean to select good examples of something.
  – Kate Bunting
  4 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

3

3

Surely 'cull' usually means to select the inferior ones for removal?
– Kate Bunting
8 hours ago

Surely 'cull' usually means to select the inferior ones for removal?
– Kate Bunting
8 hours ago

That's a good one. Thank you. Does inculcate derive from that?
– Randy Zeitman
8 hours ago

That's a good one. Thank you. Does inculcate derive from that?
– Randy Zeitman
8 hours ago

1

1

@KateBunting Yep, I thought that's what the question was about, "who distills and clarifies the most valuable core ideas." This is the best answer so far in my opinion. Except that it reminds me of controlling cute animal populations by, you know... Edit: Sorry, no, cull means selecting the best ones, doesn't it? You remove the unwanted ones.
– Zebrafish
8 hours ago

@KateBunting Yep, I thought that's what the question was about, "who distills and clarifies the most valuable core ideas." This is the best answer so far in my opinion. Except that it reminds me of controlling cute animal populations by, you know... Edit: Sorry, no, cull means selecting the best ones, doesn't it? You remove the unwanted ones.
– Zebrafish
8 hours ago

@RandyZeitman Doesn't look like it. Inculcate: Latin, in + calcāre, (to trample). Cull: From Old French "cuillir", which in turn comes from Latin "colligere" (to gather). Interestingly our "collect" comes from this same Latin "colligere".
– Zebrafish
8 hours ago

@RandyZeitman Doesn't look like it. Inculcate: Latin, in + calcāre, (to trample). Cull: From Old French "cuillir", which in turn comes from Latin "colligere" (to gather). Interestingly our "collect" comes from this same Latin "colligere".
– Zebrafish
8 hours ago

1

1

@Zebrafish - I think you misunderstood my comment. I was saying that 'to cull' meant to select poor specimens, as in choosing the weaker animals when it's necessary to reduce their numbers. But on checking the definition I see it can also mean to select good examples of something.
– Kate Bunting
4 hours ago

@Zebrafish - I think you misunderstood my comment. I was saying that 'to cull' meant to select poor specimens, as in choosing the weaker animals when it's necessary to reduce their numbers. But on checking the definition I see it can also mean to select good examples of something.
– Kate Bunting
4 hours ago

 | 
show 4 more comments

up vote
5
down vote

The technical terms are thresh or winnow but I have never heard these used metaphorically. The metaphorical term is separate the wheat from the chaff.

share|improve this answer

answered 9 hours ago

David Robinson

948210

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  I've never heard thresh used metaphorically, but I've often heard (and used) phrases like winnow down the options. So I think this is a good answer even if you don't. :)
  – Kevin Krumwiede
  3 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Sorry I didn’t see your answer before I offered mine
  – Kris
  2 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

up vote
5
down vote

The technical terms are thresh or winnow but I have never heard these used metaphorically. The metaphorical term is separate the wheat from the chaff.

share|improve this answer

answered 9 hours ago

David Robinson

948210

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  I've never heard thresh used metaphorically, but I've often heard (and used) phrases like winnow down the options. So I think this is a good answer even if you don't. :)
  – Kevin Krumwiede
  3 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Sorry I didn’t see your answer before I offered mine
  – Kris
  2 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

up vote
5
down vote

up vote
5
down vote

The technical terms are thresh or winnow but I have never heard these used metaphorically. The metaphorical term is separate the wheat from the chaff.

share|improve this answer

answered 9 hours ago

David Robinson

948210

The technical terms are thresh or winnow but I have never heard these used metaphorically. The metaphorical term is separate the wheat from the chaff.

share|improve this answer

answered 9 hours ago

David Robinson

948210

share|improve this answer

share|improve this answer

answered 9 hours ago

David Robinson

948210

answered 9 hours ago

David Robinson

948210

answered 9 hours ago

David Robinson

948210

948210

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  I've never heard thresh used metaphorically, but I've often heard (and used) phrases like winnow down the options. So I think this is a good answer even if you don't. :)
  – Kevin Krumwiede
  3 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Sorry I didn’t see your answer before I offered mine
  – Kris
  2 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  I've never heard thresh used metaphorically, but I've often heard (and used) phrases like winnow down the options. So I think this is a good answer even if you don't. :)
  – Kevin Krumwiede
  3 hours ago
  
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Sorry I didn’t see your answer before I offered mine
  – Kris
  2 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  

I've never heard thresh used metaphorically, but I've often heard (and used) phrases like winnow down the options. So I think this is a good answer even if you don't. :)
– Kevin Krumwiede
3 hours ago

I've never heard thresh used metaphorically, but I've often heard (and used) phrases like winnow down the options. So I think this is a good answer even if you don't. :)
– Kevin Krumwiede
3 hours ago

Sorry I didn’t see your answer before I offered mine
– Kris
2 hours ago

Sorry I didn’t see your answer before I offered mine
– Kris
2 hours ago

add a comment | 

up vote
4
down vote

I would suggest 'weed out' as being idiomatically metaphorical, yet retaining an agricultural background association.

It is not a single word but it is a phrasal verb.

Weed out (phrasal verb) : to remove (people or things that are not wanted) from a group

Merriam Webster

FCA promises to weed out sexual harassers

FT Adviser - 17th Oct 2018

share|improve this answer

answered 8 hours ago

Nigel J

16.5k94077

add a comment | 

up vote
4
down vote

I would suggest 'weed out' as being idiomatically metaphorical, yet retaining an agricultural background association.

It is not a single word but it is a phrasal verb.

Weed out (phrasal verb) : to remove (people or things that are not wanted) from a group

Merriam Webster

FCA promises to weed out sexual harassers

FT Adviser - 17th Oct 2018

share|improve this answer

answered 8 hours ago

Nigel J

16.5k94077

add a comment | 

up vote
4
down vote

up vote
4
down vote

I would suggest 'weed out' as being idiomatically metaphorical, yet retaining an agricultural background association.

It is not a single word but it is a phrasal verb.

Weed out (phrasal verb) : to remove (people or things that are not wanted) from a group

Merriam Webster

FCA promises to weed out sexual harassers

FT Adviser - 17th Oct 2018

share|improve this answer

answered 8 hours ago

Nigel J

16.5k94077

I would suggest 'weed out' as being idiomatically metaphorical, yet retaining an agricultural background association.

It is not a single word but it is a phrasal verb.

Weed out (phrasal verb) : to remove (people or things that are not wanted) from a group

Merriam Webster

FCA promises to weed out sexual harassers

FT Adviser - 17th Oct 2018

share|improve this answer

answered 8 hours ago

Nigel J

16.5k94077

share|improve this answer

share|improve this answer

answered 8 hours ago

Nigel J

16.5k94077

answered 8 hours ago

Nigel J

16.5k94077

answered 8 hours ago

Nigel J

16.5k94077

16.5k94077

add a comment | 

add a comment | 

up vote
3
down vote

sift: to go through especially to sort out what is useful or valuable "sifted the evidence"

pare (down):to trim off an outside, excess, or irregular part of

share|improve this answer

answered 2 hours ago

Keith McClary

1837

add a comment | 

up vote
3
down vote

sift: to go through especially to sort out what is useful or valuable "sifted the evidence"

pare (down):to trim off an outside, excess, or irregular part of

share|improve this answer

answered 2 hours ago

Keith McClary

1837

add a comment | 

up vote
3
down vote

up vote
3
down vote

sift: to go through especially to sort out what is useful or valuable "sifted the evidence"

pare (down):to trim off an outside, excess, or irregular part of

share|improve this answer

answered 2 hours ago

Keith McClary

1837

sift: to go through especially to sort out what is useful or valuable "sifted the evidence"

pare (down):to trim off an outside, excess, or irregular part of

share|improve this answer

answered 2 hours ago

Keith McClary

1837

share|improve this answer

share|improve this answer

answered 2 hours ago

Keith McClary

1837

answered 2 hours ago

Keith McClary

1837

answered 2 hours ago

Keith McClary

1837

1837

add a comment | 

add a comment | 

up vote
1
down vote

To discriminate seems to fit the bill.

to recognize a distinction; differentiate.

To discriminate between good and bad, or the wheat and the chaff, meets your criteria.

share|improve this answer

answered 3 hours ago

WhatRoughBeast

7,7411124

add a comment | 

up vote
1
down vote

To discriminate seems to fit the bill.

to recognize a distinction; differentiate.

To discriminate between good and bad, or the wheat and the chaff, meets your criteria.

share|improve this answer

answered 3 hours ago

WhatRoughBeast

7,7411124

add a comment | 

up vote
1
down vote

up vote
1
down vote

To discriminate seems to fit the bill.

to recognize a distinction; differentiate.

To discriminate between good and bad, or the wheat and the chaff, meets your criteria.

share|improve this answer

answered 3 hours ago

WhatRoughBeast

7,7411124

To discriminate seems to fit the bill.

to recognize a distinction; differentiate.

To discriminate between good and bad, or the wheat and the chaff, meets your criteria.

share|improve this answer

answered 3 hours ago

WhatRoughBeast

7,7411124

share|improve this answer

share|improve this answer

answered 3 hours ago

WhatRoughBeast

7,7411124

answered 3 hours ago

WhatRoughBeast

7,7411124

answered 3 hours ago

WhatRoughBeast

7,7411124

7,7411124

add a comment | 

add a comment | 

up vote
1
down vote

• Our professor refines the curriculum so well that we are able to appreciate its finer points.

Refined (adj.) 1570s, "subtle;" 1580s, "elegant;" 1590s, "purified," past-participle adjective from refine (v.).

Fine (adj.) mid-13c., "unblemished, refined, pure, free of impurities," also "of high quality, choice," from Old French fin "perfected, of highest quality" (12c.), a back-formation from finire or else from Latin finis "that which divides, a boundary, limit, border, end" (see finish (v.)); hence "acme, peak, height," as in finis boni "the highest good." The English word is from c. 1300 as "rich, valuable, costly;" also in a moral sense "true, genuine; faithful, constant." From late 14c. as "expertly fashioned, well or skillfully made," also, of cloth, "delicately wrought." Of weapons or edges, "sharp" from c. 1400. In reference to quality of gold and silver, late 15c.

Online Etymology Dictionary

share|improve this answer

answered 20 mins ago

Bread

5,23121132

add a comment | 

up vote
1
down vote

• Our professor refines the curriculum so well that we are able to appreciate its finer points.

Refined (adj.) 1570s, "subtle;" 1580s, "elegant;" 1590s, "purified," past-participle adjective from refine (v.).

Fine (adj.) mid-13c., "unblemished, refined, pure, free of impurities," also "of high quality, choice," from Old French fin "perfected, of highest quality" (12c.), a back-formation from finire or else from Latin finis "that which divides, a boundary, limit, border, end" (see finish (v.)); hence "acme, peak, height," as in finis boni "the highest good." The English word is from c. 1300 as "rich, valuable, costly;" also in a moral sense "true, genuine; faithful, constant." From late 14c. as "expertly fashioned, well or skillfully made," also, of cloth, "delicately wrought." Of weapons or edges, "sharp" from c. 1400. In reference to quality of gold and silver, late 15c.

Online Etymology Dictionary

share|improve this answer

answered 20 mins ago

Bread

5,23121132

add a comment | 

up vote
1
down vote

up vote
1
down vote

• Our professor refines the curriculum so well that we are able to appreciate its finer points.

Refined (adj.) 1570s, "subtle;" 1580s, "elegant;" 1590s, "purified," past-participle adjective from refine (v.).

Fine (adj.) mid-13c., "unblemished, refined, pure, free of impurities," also "of high quality, choice," from Old French fin "perfected, of highest quality" (12c.), a back-formation from finire or else from Latin finis "that which divides, a boundary, limit, border, end" (see finish (v.)); hence "acme, peak, height," as in finis boni "the highest good." The English word is from c. 1300 as "rich, valuable, costly;" also in a moral sense "true, genuine; faithful, constant." From late 14c. as "expertly fashioned, well or skillfully made," also, of cloth, "delicately wrought." Of weapons or edges, "sharp" from c. 1400. In reference to quality of gold and silver, late 15c.

Online Etymology Dictionary

share|improve this answer

answered 20 mins ago

Bread

5,23121132

• Our professor refines the curriculum so well that we are able to appreciate its finer points.

Refined (adj.) 1570s, "subtle;" 1580s, "elegant;" 1590s, "purified," past-participle adjective from refine (v.).

Fine (adj.) mid-13c., "unblemished, refined, pure, free of impurities," also "of high quality, choice," from Old French fin "perfected, of highest quality" (12c.), a back-formation from finire or else from Latin finis "that which divides, a boundary, limit, border, end" (see finish (v.)); hence "acme, peak, height," as in finis boni "the highest good." The English word is from c. 1300 as "rich, valuable, costly;" also in a moral sense "true, genuine; faithful, constant." From late 14c. as "expertly fashioned, well or skillfully made," also, of cloth, "delicately wrought." Of weapons or edges, "sharp" from c. 1400. In reference to quality of gold and silver, late 15c.

Online Etymology Dictionary

share|improve this answer

answered 20 mins ago

Bread

5,23121132

share|improve this answer

share|improve this answer

answered 20 mins ago

Bread

5,23121132

answered 20 mins ago

Bread

5,23121132

answered 20 mins ago

Bread

5,23121132

5,23121132

add a comment | 

add a comment | 

up vote
0
down vote

I use pruning. I think it's quite versatile and in fact is used by discord to describe kicking out users who are bad or inactive.

share|improve this answer

answered 5 hours ago

convertedquorauser

73

New contributor

convertedquorauser is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

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up vote
0
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I use pruning. I think it's quite versatile and in fact is used by discord to describe kicking out users who are bad or inactive.

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answered 5 hours ago

convertedquorauser

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up vote
0
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up vote
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I use pruning. I think it's quite versatile and in fact is used by discord to describe kicking out users who are bad or inactive.

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answered 5 hours ago

convertedquorauser

73

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I use pruning. I think it's quite versatile and in fact is used by discord to describe kicking out users who are bad or inactive.

share|improve this answer

answered 5 hours ago

convertedquorauser

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convertedquorauser

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answered 5 hours ago

convertedquorauser

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answered 5 hours ago

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Hone, perhaps - To refine or practise (a skill, technique, etc.); to make more effective or intense (OED).

So,

"I've taken the methods presently in use, analyzed them, and am reframing the core wisdom. I've honed the material."

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answered 2 hours ago

Dan

14.6k32156

add a comment | 

up vote
0
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Hone, perhaps - To refine or practise (a skill, technique, etc.); to make more effective or intense (OED).

So,

"I've taken the methods presently in use, analyzed them, and am reframing the core wisdom. I've honed the material."

share|improve this answer

answered 2 hours ago

Dan

14.6k32156

add a comment | 

up vote
0
down vote

up vote
0
down vote

Hone, perhaps - To refine or practise (a skill, technique, etc.); to make more effective or intense (OED).

So,

"I've taken the methods presently in use, analyzed them, and am reframing the core wisdom. I've honed the material."

share|improve this answer

answered 2 hours ago

Dan

14.6k32156

Hone, perhaps - To refine or practise (a skill, technique, etc.); to make more effective or intense (OED).

So,

"I've taken the methods presently in use, analyzed them, and am reframing the core wisdom. I've honed the material."

share|improve this answer

answered 2 hours ago

Dan

14.6k32156

share|improve this answer

share|improve this answer

answered 2 hours ago

Dan

14.6k32156

answered 2 hours ago

Dan

14.6k32156

answered 2 hours ago

Dan

14.6k32156

14.6k32156

add a comment | 

add a comment | 

up vote
0
down vote

There are lots of candidate words, but the appropriate choice of word depends hugely on what is being said about the distribution of the quality of ideas:

• 
  cull/ filter/ prune/ triage (if some ideas are outright terrible and need to be summarily rejected, e.g. Earth was colonized from the dark side of the moon)


• 
  sift (if ideas seem plausible, and we need to discern better from worse, more helpful from less)


• 
  distill/ craft/ develop/ refine/ finesse/ amalgamate/ synthesize (if ideas are ok but need to developed, clarified, articulated better and possibly put together to make a more useful idea


• 
  select, or its hip cousin curate, say nothing about the wider set of ideas, and merely say you (possibly arbitrarily) picked some to discuss/ focus on/ illustrate


• similarly separate (/ categorize). In physics, we can separate ideas in forces and mechanics from ideas in heat and light from ideas in radiation, but that merely says they can be split into different categories, it says nothing about whether some are worse than others, or interconnected or not


• 
  generalize/ reduce/ condense/ summarize/ canonicalize Perhaps goes beyond your intended scope, but this applies where multiple ideas from the same or different categories are the same fundamental principle

To your second question: "(Does it seem odd such a word would not be common? Is is because separate, and it's synonyms, already imply the reason for division is already, always, about good and bad?)"

That is because there are multiple different candidates, as above. Yes it depends on what the verb implies about quality, if anything, and how much effort the discernment process takes. separate is not necessarily good from bad, it could be simple from complex, advanced from introductory, scalar from vector, general or common from special-case or rare, well-known from little-known etc.

share|improve this answer

edited 1 hour ago

answered 1 hour ago

smci

1,445913

add a comment | 

up vote
0
down vote

There are lots of candidate words, but the appropriate choice of word depends hugely on what is being said about the distribution of the quality of ideas:

• 
  cull/ filter/ prune/ triage (if some ideas are outright terrible and need to be summarily rejected, e.g. Earth was colonized from the dark side of the moon)


• 
  sift (if ideas seem plausible, and we need to discern better from worse, more helpful from less)


• 
  distill/ craft/ develop/ refine/ finesse/ amalgamate/ synthesize (if ideas are ok but need to developed, clarified, articulated better and possibly put together to make a more useful idea


• 
  select, or its hip cousin curate, say nothing about the wider set of ideas, and merely say you (possibly arbitrarily) picked some to discuss/ focus on/ illustrate


• similarly separate (/ categorize). In physics, we can separate ideas in forces and mechanics from ideas in heat and light from ideas in radiation, but that merely says they can be split into different categories, it says nothing about whether some are worse than others, or interconnected or not


• 
  generalize/ reduce/ condense/ summarize/ canonicalize Perhaps goes beyond your intended scope, but this applies where multiple ideas from the same or different categories are the same fundamental principle

To your second question: "(Does it seem odd such a word would not be common? Is is because separate, and it's synonyms, already imply the reason for division is already, always, about good and bad?)"

That is because there are multiple different candidates, as above. Yes it depends on what the verb implies about quality, if anything, and how much effort the discernment process takes. separate is not necessarily good from bad, it could be simple from complex, advanced from introductory, scalar from vector, general or common from special-case or rare, well-known from little-known etc.

share|improve this answer

edited 1 hour ago

answered 1 hour ago

smci

1,445913

add a comment | 

up vote
0
down vote

up vote
0
down vote

There are lots of candidate words, but the appropriate choice of word depends hugely on what is being said about the distribution of the quality of ideas:

• 
  cull/ filter/ prune/ triage (if some ideas are outright terrible and need to be summarily rejected, e.g. Earth was colonized from the dark side of the moon)


• 
  sift (if ideas seem plausible, and we need to discern better from worse, more helpful from less)


• 
  distill/ craft/ develop/ refine/ finesse/ amalgamate/ synthesize (if ideas are ok but need to developed, clarified, articulated better and possibly put together to make a more useful idea


• 
  select, or its hip cousin curate, say nothing about the wider set of ideas, and merely say you (possibly arbitrarily) picked some to discuss/ focus on/ illustrate


• similarly separate (/ categorize). In physics, we can separate ideas in forces and mechanics from ideas in heat and light from ideas in radiation, but that merely says they can be split into different categories, it says nothing about whether some are worse than others, or interconnected or not


• 
  generalize/ reduce/ condense/ summarize/ canonicalize Perhaps goes beyond your intended scope, but this applies where multiple ideas from the same or different categories are the same fundamental principle

To your second question: "(Does it seem odd such a word would not be common? Is is because separate, and it's synonyms, already imply the reason for division is already, always, about good and bad?)"

That is because there are multiple different candidates, as above. Yes it depends on what the verb implies about quality, if anything, and how much effort the discernment process takes. separate is not necessarily good from bad, it could be simple from complex, advanced from introductory, scalar from vector, general or common from special-case or rare, well-known from little-known etc.

share|improve this answer

edited 1 hour ago

answered 1 hour ago

smci

1,445913

There are lots of candidate words, but the appropriate choice of word depends hugely on what is being said about the distribution of the quality of ideas:

• 
  cull/ filter/ prune/ triage (if some ideas are outright terrible and need to be summarily rejected, e.g. Earth was colonized from the dark side of the moon)


• 
  sift (if ideas seem plausible, and we need to discern better from worse, more helpful from less)


• 
  distill/ craft/ develop/ refine/ finesse/ amalgamate/ synthesize (if ideas are ok but need to developed, clarified, articulated better and possibly put together to make a more useful idea


• 
  select, or its hip cousin curate, say nothing about the wider set of ideas, and merely say you (possibly arbitrarily) picked some to discuss/ focus on/ illustrate


• similarly separate (/ categorize). In physics, we can separate ideas in forces and mechanics from ideas in heat and light from ideas in radiation, but that merely says they can be split into different categories, it says nothing about whether some are worse than others, or interconnected or not


• 
  generalize/ reduce/ condense/ summarize/ canonicalize Perhaps goes beyond your intended scope, but this applies where multiple ideas from the same or different categories are the same fundamental principle

To your second question: "(Does it seem odd such a word would not be common? Is is because separate, and it's synonyms, already imply the reason for division is already, always, about good and bad?)"

That is because there are multiple different candidates, as above. Yes it depends on what the verb implies about quality, if anything, and how much effort the discernment process takes. separate is not necessarily good from bad, it could be simple from complex, advanced from introductory, scalar from vector, general or common from special-case or rare, well-known from little-known etc.

share|improve this answer

edited 1 hour ago

answered 1 hour ago

smci

1,445913

share|improve this answer

share|improve this answer

edited 1 hour ago

edited 1 hour ago

edited 1 hour ago

answered 1 hour ago

smci

1,445913

answered 1 hour ago

smci

1,445913

answered 1 hour ago

smci

1,445913

1,445913

add a comment | 

add a comment | 

up vote
-4
down vote

distinguish ? ... 'the professor had an innate ability to distinguish his students'

differentiate ?

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edited 3 hours ago

answered 4 hours ago

Realin Theoryin

11

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Realin Theoryin is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Probably not. I'd take this to mean that he could distinguish Suzie from Paul, etc.
  – Jim
  4 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Please note, the system has flagged your answer for closure as "low-quality because of its length and content." An answer on this site is expected to be authoritative, detailed, and explain why it is correct. You can edit your answer to avoid closure - for example, adding a dictionary definition for your proposed words, linked to the source. For further guidance, see How to Answer. :-)
  – Chappo
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

up vote
-4
down vote

distinguish ? ... 'the professor had an innate ability to distinguish his students'

differentiate ?

share|improve this answer

edited 3 hours ago

answered 4 hours ago

Realin Theoryin

11

New contributor

Realin Theoryin is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Probably not. I'd take this to mean that he could distinguish Suzie from Paul, etc.
  – Jim
  4 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Please note, the system has flagged your answer for closure as "low-quality because of its length and content." An answer on this site is expected to be authoritative, detailed, and explain why it is correct. You can edit your answer to avoid closure - for example, adding a dictionary definition for your proposed words, linked to the source. For further guidance, see How to Answer. :-)
  – Chappo
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

up vote
-4
down vote

up vote
-4
down vote

distinguish ? ... 'the professor had an innate ability to distinguish his students'

differentiate ?

share|improve this answer

edited 3 hours ago

answered 4 hours ago

Realin Theoryin

11

New contributor

Realin Theoryin is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

distinguish ? ... 'the professor had an innate ability to distinguish his students'

differentiate ?

share|improve this answer

edited 3 hours ago

answered 4 hours ago

Realin Theoryin

11

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Realin Theoryin is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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share|improve this answer

share|improve this answer

edited 3 hours ago

edited 3 hours ago

edited 3 hours ago

answered 4 hours ago

Realin Theoryin

11

New contributor

Realin Theoryin is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

answered 4 hours ago

Realin Theoryin

11

answered 4 hours ago

Realin Theoryin

11

11

New contributor

Realin Theoryin is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

New contributor

Realin Theoryin is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

Realin Theoryin is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Probably not. I'd take this to mean that he could distinguish Suzie from Paul, etc.
  – Jim
  4 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Please note, the system has flagged your answer for closure as "low-quality because of its length and content." An answer on this site is expected to be authoritative, detailed, and explain why it is correct. You can edit your answer to avoid closure - for example, adding a dictionary definition for your proposed words, linked to the source. For further guidance, see How to Answer. :-)
  – Chappo
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  

add a comment | 

• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Probably not. I'd take this to mean that he could distinguish Suzie from Paul, etc.
  – Jim
  4 hours ago
  

  
  
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  
  

  
  
  
  
  
  

  
  Please note, the system has flagged your answer for closure as "low-quality because of its length and content." An answer on this site is expected to be authoritative, detailed, and explain why it is correct. You can edit your answer to avoid closure - for example, adding a dictionary definition for your proposed words, linked to the source. For further guidance, see How to Answer. :-)
  – Chappo
  1 hour ago
  

  
  
  
  

Probably not. I'd take this to mean that he could distinguish Suzie from Paul, etc.
– Jim
4 hours ago

Probably not. I'd take this to mean that he could distinguish Suzie from Paul, etc.
– Jim
4 hours ago

Please note, the system has flagged your answer for closure as "low-quality because of its length and content." An answer on this site is expected to be authoritative, detailed, and explain why it is correct. You can edit your answer to avoid closure - for example, adding a dictionary definition for your proposed words, linked to the source. For further guidance, see How to Answer. :-)
– Chappo
1 hour ago

Please note, the system has flagged your answer for closure as "low-quality because of its length and content." An answer on this site is expected to be authoritative, detailed, and explain why it is correct. You can edit your answer to avoid closure - for example, adding a dictionary definition for your proposed words, linked to the source. For further guidance, see How to Answer. :-)
– Chappo
1 hour ago

add a comment | 

 

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