pick over

Idioms and Phrases

Sort out, examine item by item, as in Dad hates to pick over the beans one by one . This term is sometimes put as picked over , describing something that has already been selected from (as in They have almost nothing left; the stock of bathing suits has been picked over ). [First half of 1800s]

Example Sentences

The Tories are picking over their colossal election defeat and an election campaign seen privately by many in the party as a mess - not least because of the torrent of stories about betting.

From BBC

Cooks and servants of the garrison picked over the goods, demanding better prices while soldiers wandered in and out of the main gate with bored expressions, rarely stopping to look at the merchandise.

From Literature

But judges will no doubt be picking over the reasons set out by Mr Jack in great detail, to see whether he was really being "irrational".

From BBC

After a brief stretch on the Pacific Crest Trail, you’ll find a section lined with huckleberries — however, being so close to the PCT, they may be picked over.

From Seattle Times

On the ship and back at Harvard, the team picked over the debris with tweezers and found, amid volcanic ash, nearly 700 “spherules,” tiny metallic pellets 1 millimeter or less across.

From Science Magazine