pick and choose
To select with much care; choose in a fussy way; take a long time before choosing.
He was never one to pick and choose.
Some people pick and choose to get something perfect, and some just because they can't make up their minds.
pick apart
pick to pieces
To criticize harshly; find things wrong with; find fault with.
After the dance, the girls picked Susan apart.
They picked the play to pieces.
To distinguish.
That copy machine is so good that I can’t pick the photocopy and the original apart.
pick at
To reach or grasp for repeatedly.
The baby kept picking at the coverlet.
To eat without appetite; choose a small piece every little while to eat.
He picked at his food.
To annoy or bother continually; find fault with.
They showed their displeasure by continually picking at her.
pick off
To pull off; remove with the fingers.
He picked off the burs that had stuck to his overcoat.
To shoot, one at a time; knock down one by one.
The sniper picked off the slower soldiers as they came out into the road.
To catch a base runner off base by throwing the ball quickly to a fielder who tags him out.
The pitcher turned around suddenly and threw to the second baseman to pick the runner off second base.
To catch and, especially in football, to intercept.
Alert defenders picked off three of Jack's passes.
pick on
To make a habit of annoying or bothering (someone); do or say bad things to (someone).
Other boys picked on him until he decided to fight them.
To single out; choose; select.
He visited a lot of colleges, and finally picked on Stanford.
pick one's teeth
To clean one's teeth with a toothpick.
It is considered poor manners to pick one's teeth in public.
pick one's way
To go ahead carefully in difficult or unfamiliar places; advance with care.
After nightfall we drove slowly along, picking our way until we found the right turn.
He picked his way across the rough and rocky hillside.
pick out
To choose; to select.
It took Mary a long time to pick out a dress at the store.
Ann picked out a good book to give to her brother as a graduation gift.
Johnny, if you want me to buy you a toy, then pick one out now.
To see among others; recognize; tell from others.
We could pick out different places in the city from the airplane.
We could not pick Bob out in the big crowd.
To find by examining or trying; tell the meaning.
The box was so dirty we couldn't pick out the directions on the label.