thinking cap

American  

noun

1. a state of mind marked by reflection or concentration.

   If we put on our thinking caps, we may come up with the answer.

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thinking cap Idioms  

1. see put on one's thinking cap.

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Etymology

Origin of thinking cap

First recorded in 1870–75

Example Sentences

“After the initial shock and ‘woe is me’ thoughts, I shook the dust from my feet, put on my thinking cap and prayed to God for witty invention.”

From Washington Times

Well, put on your thinking cap for a moment.

From Washington Times

The political scientists and commentariat will have to put their thinking caps on to define the new politics.

From Salon

As for taking audiences through the “Cosmos” again when the series returns in 2019, he says the epic show goes well beyond a “put your thinking cap on” documentary.

From Fox News

The story, concocted from clichés that were already droopy when they appeared in almost every other jukebox musical ever written, does not require you to put your thinking cap on.

From New York Times