pick someone's brain

Meaning

1. 1phraseidiominformal

   To ask someone with knowledge or experience a number of questions to get ideas or information from them.

   Grammar: Fixed idiom with a possessive: pick her brain, pick their brains.

   Patterns

   • pick someone's brain about something
   • pick someone's brain on something

   Could I pick your brain about starting a small business?

   She invited a retired pilot for coffee to pick his brain about flying.

   I'd love to pick your brains on the best places to visit in Japan.

Word forms

Common combinations

pick someone's brain about

He wanted to pick my brain about my work abroad.

mind if I pick your brain

Do you mind if I pick your brain for a minute?

pick an expert's brain

The students got to pick an expert's brain at the careers fair.

pick the brains of

We picked the brains of several mentors before deciding.

Synonyms and how they differ

consult

Consult is more formal and suggests an official request for professional advice, while pick someone's brain sounds casual and informal.

quiz

Quiz implies a series of direct questions, sometimes testing someone, whereas picking a brain is friendly and about learning.

ask for advice

Ask for advice is neutral and plain, whereas the idiom stresses drawing on the other person's knowledge.

Word family

brain noun

the organ for thinking; also a clever person

brainstorm verb

to generate ideas together

brainy adjective

clever

pick verb

to select or take

Commonly confused: pick someone's brain or pick a fight?

Practice

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