ENGLISH
REFERENCE

chew the meat and spit out the bones

idiom
Meaning

To take in a great deal of information and selectively disregard some of it as invalid or inapplicable.


Examples
SIMPLE

Read the report, chew the meat and spit out the bones.

CONTEXTUAL

When you research this topic, you should chew the meat and spit out the bones to find the most useful facts.

COMPLEX

The expert advised the students to chew the meat and spit out the bones while analyzing the outdated historical documents for relevant insights.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    bag of bones

    A skinny, malnourished person or animal.

  2. 02

    bite off more than one can chew

    To try to do too much; to take on or attempt more than one is capable of doing.

  3. 03

    chew off

    To reprimand, to scold

  4. 04

    chew on

    To consider, to ponder.

  5. 05

    chew the cud

    To meditate or ponder before answering; to be deep in thought; to ruminate.

  6. 06

    chew the scenery

    To display excessive emotion or to act in an exaggerated manner while performing; to be melodramatic; to be flamboyant.

  7. 07

    chew up

    To ruin (especially land), by digging.

  8. 08

    dead meat

    Someone in danger of being killed or severely punished.

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