To Pick Out

Example 1:

Terry: I finally saved up enough money to buy a new car! I just don’t know which car to pick out.

Sandy: Oh, I know which one you should pick. That little red Fiat over there is adorable!

Terry: Great idea! Thanks for the advice.

Example 2:

Kitty: Have you seen the new uniforms they picked out for school this year!

Jolene: Yes! They are horrible. Those strips look ridiculous with plaid.

Kitty: I don’t know what they were thinking. They must have been drunk when they picked out those colors!

Meaning:

Pick out means to choose or select something. However, people will commonly use just “pick” without “out” as in the first example when Sandy says “I know which one you should pick.” In this case, she could also say “I know which one you should pick out.”

This idiom can be found in the LSI textbook Speaking Transitions. This book is used at LSI schools in the level 4 Listening/Speaking classes. For more information, please visit: www.languagesystems.com