brain surgery

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English[edit]

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (file)

Noun[edit]

brain surgery (usually uncountable, plural brain surgeries)

  1. Surgery on any part of the nervous system, especially the brain; neurosurgery.
  2. (uncountable, idiomatic, hyperbolic, chiefly in the negative) Something that is overly complex, detailed or confusing.
    Synonym: rocket science
    It's not brain surgery. Just screw in the bulb and flip the switch.

Usage notes[edit]

  • This phrase is usually used in a negative comparison, as in the example above, to show that something is (or should be) simple, straightforward, or obvious.

Synonyms[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Translations[edit]