Meaning & use
pick my brain
Last updated
Meaning
phraseidiominformal
to ask someone for information, advice, or ideas, especially because they know a lot about a subject
Grammar: Used with a possessive adjective before 'brain': pick my/your/his brain. Often followed by 'about' or 'on' and a topic.
Patterns
- pick someone's brain
- pick someone's brain about something
- pick someone's brain on something
I'm thinking of starting a small business. Can I pick your brain about it?
She picked his brain on the best way to learn Spanish.
He's an expert in tax law, so I picked his brain before filing my return.
Common combinations
- pick someone's brain about something
- I'd like to pick your brain about the new project.
- pick someone's brain on something
- She picked his brain on the best way to train for a marathon.
- can I pick your brain?
- Can I pick your brain for a minute? I need some advice.
- pick someone's brain for ideas
- We picked her brain for ideas about the design.
Synonyms and how they differ
- consult
- More formal and general; it means to ask a professional for advice, but it does not suggest a casual conversation.
- ask for advice
- A plain phrase that is more direct and less idiomatic; it can be used in any situation.
- pick someone's brains
- A variant with the same meaning, but 'brains' (plural) is also common, especially in British English.
Commonly confused: pick my brain or rack my brain?
pick my brain vs rack my brain
This means to think very hard to remember something, not to ask someone else for information.
Practice
I need some advice about my new job. Can I ______?
Choose one answer.
'Pick your brain' is the correct idiom. 'Pick your brains' is also used but less common in American English; 'pick your mind' and 'pick your head' are not English idioms.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pick my brain”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.