嗅ぎ分ける

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 嗅ぎ分ける（かぎわける） combines 嗅ぐ, to smell, with 分ける, to distinguish.
• Basic usage: It means distinguishing by smell and can figuratively describe a keen sense of someone's underlying intentions.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Scents and intentions
  • 匂いを嗅ぎ分ける describes distinguishing by smell.
  • 冗談と本音を嗅ぎ分ける figuratively describes detecting whether someone is joking or serious.
• More than simply smelling
  • 嗅ぐ focuses on smelling, while 嗅ぎ分ける focuses on detecting differences between scents.