pick something clean

pick (something) clean

1. To remove every piece of flesh from a bone or body. The body of the horse hadn't been out for more than a few days before the vultures and other desert dwellers had picked it clean. You must have been hungry! I wasn't expecting you to pick that drumstick clean.

2. To remove everything from something or some place. You'd better get to the store early during the big sale, because people pick the shelves clean in no time. The boss said we could take anything left behind in the office, so we went through and picked the building clean.

See also: clean, pick

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

pick something clean

completely remove the flesh from a bone or carcass.

See also: clean, pick, something

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017