brain

be all brawn and no brains

to be physically strong but not very intelligent. I agree he's got a good body, but he's all brawn and no brains.

See also: all

be brain dead (humorous)

if someone is brain dead, their mind is not working effectively, usually because they are very tired or very bored. By the time I leave work I'm completely brain dead.

See also: dead

be out of your brain (British, very informal)

to be very drunk. By the time I arrived at the party he was out of his brain.

be the brains behind something

to be the person who plans and organizes something, especially something successful. He was the brains behind many of the best movies ever made.

See also: behind

beat your brains out

to spend a lot of time worrying about a problem and thinking about how to deal with it. I've been beating my brains out trying to think of a way of getting the money to her in time. (often + doing something)

See also: beat

a bird-brain (informal)

a stupid person. He's just a bird-brain - he can't get anything right.

blow someone's brains out

to kill someone by shooting them in the head. After two unsuccessful suicide attempts, she finally blew her brains out.

See also: blow

a brain box (British & Australian, informal)

a very intelligent person. Come on brain box, what's the answer?

See also: box

a brain drain

the movement of people with education and skills from their own country to another country where they are paid more for their work. There is a brain drain of British mathematicians to the United States.

See also: drain

a brain trust (American & Australian)

a group of people with special knowledge or skills who give advice to someone in a position of authority. He joined the President's brain trust for the election campaign.

See also: trust

get your brain in gear (informal)

to make yourself start thinking clearly and effectively. I've got to get my brain in gear for the meeting this afternoon.

See also: gear

have something on the brain (informal)

to not be able to stop thinking or talking about one particular thing. You've got cars on the brain. Can't we talk about something else for a change?

have shit for brains (American & Australian, taboo)

to be very stupid. What are you talking about Martha? You've got shit for brains.

See also: shit

pick someone's brains

to ask for information or advice from someone who knows more about a subject than you do. I'd love to pick your brains about computers - you seem to be the expert around here.

See also: pick

rack your brain/brains

to think very hard, usually in order to remember something or to find a solution to a problem. I've been racking my brains but I still can't remember who wrote that play.

See also: rack

---

beat someone's brains out

1. to severely criticize someone. How could I win the election with that guy on the radio beating my brains out every day?

2. to seriously hurt someone. I was afraid he was going to come back and beat my brains out.

See also: beat

blow someone's brains out

to shoot someone in the head. He pulled out his revolver and blew her brains out.

See also: blow

the brains behind something

the person who provides ideas and plans for an activity. Someone very clever must be the brains behind such an organized group of thieves.

See also: behind

your brains out

as much as possible. The people in this town want to go to the game and scream their brains out all afternoon.

your ass off

pick someone's brains

to get information and advice from someone. The new kids can pick the brains of guys who have played against these teams before.

See also: pick

rack your brains

to try very hard to remember or think of something. She racked her brains for a subject they could discuss without an argument.

See also: rack