idiom · informal
pick someone's brains
/pɪk ˈsʌmwʌnz breɪnz/pick·some·ONE'S·BRAINS
to ask someone who knows more about a subject for information or advice
Examples
“I picked my advisor's brains about citation styles.”
“Before starting my study I picked several alumni's brains for tips.”
“Can I pick your brains about this research idea?”
Band 8 sentence
“Before finalising my proposal I picked several professors' brains to refine the research questions.”
Collocations
- pick someone's brains about/for
- pick an expert's brains
Word family
Common mistakes
Can I pick your brain for a moment?→Can I pick your brains for a moment?
I pick my teacher's brains to copy answers.→I pick my teacher's brains to get guidance.
Say it for a higher band
5ask for help→6ask for advice→7+pick someone's brains
Synonyms
ask for advice
consult
Easily confused
ask for advice
“I asked for advice from my supervisor about my methodology.”
Related words
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In Study
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