English Idioms
Comprehensive resource for understanding and mastering English idioms
Rack your brains
Meaning
The idiom "rack your brains" means to put a lot of effort into thinking about something, often trying very hard to remember something or solve a problem. It can also mean to use all one's mental abilities or energy to achieve a goal. The phrase originated from the act of physically shaking one's head back and forth, which is believed to stimulate the brain and promote memory retention.
Usage
- I need to rack my brains to remember the phone number I called last night.
- She was racking her brains trying to think of a gift for her friend's birthday.
- The team had to rack their brains to come up with a solution to the problem before the deadline.
- He spent hours racking his brains to solve the math problem, but couldn't do it.
- She was racking her brains trying to remember the lyrics to the song she was singing at karaoke.
Roots and History
The phrase "rack your brains" has been used since the mid-20th century in English. The idiom originated from the act of physically shaking one's head back and forth, which is believed to stimulate the brain and promote memory retention. Over time, the phrase came to be used metaphorically to describe putting a lot of effort into thinking about something or trying very hard to remember something or solve a problem.
Synonyms in English
- Put your mind to it
- Give it your all
- Take your time
- Mull it over
- Work at it
Synonyms in other languages
- French - Essayer de tout le monde pour trouver (Try everything to find)
- German - Verzweifeln (To become desperate)
- Spanish - Esforzarse en recordarlo (To exert oneself to remember it)
- Italian - Sforzarsi di ricordarelo (To struggle to remember it)
- Portuguese - Esforçar-se para lembrar (To make an effort to remember)