cherry-pick
English
Alternative forms
Etymology
A metaphor, from the idea of picking through a bowl of cherries and seeking the best for oneself.
Verb
cherry-pick (third-person singular simple present cherry-picks, present participle cherry-picking, simple past and past participle cherry-picked)
- (idiomatic) To pick out the best, or most desirable items from a list or group, especially to obtain some advantage or to present something in the best possible light.
- From all the available statistics, the politician cherry-picked only those that backed up his ideas.
- 2012 April 29, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “Treehouse of Horror III” (season 4, episode 5; originally aired 10/29/1992)”:
- In time The Simpsons would, indeed, resort to spoofing such decidedly non-spooktacular fare like E.T and Mr. And Mrs. Smith (both in “Treehouse Of Horror XVIII”) but in 1992 the field was wide-open and the show could cherry-pick the most iconic and beloved fright fare of all time.
Translations
pick out the best from a list or group
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