little grey cells

little gray cells

Knowledge or the power to think critically. A reference to brain cells. This medication has very serious side effects, and I would rather hang on to all of my little gray cells than extend what remains of my life by a couple of years. The detective credited his little gray cells as the reason he was able to solve such a complex and mysterious case.
See also: cell, gray, little
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

little grey cells

brain cells (as symbolic of high intelligence or mental acuity).
The phrase is particularly associated with the cerebral Belgian detective Hercule Poirot , invented by Agatha Christie .
2006 Scotland on Sunday They…show an amazing capacity to solve every cryptic clue, code and secret that comes their way, often merely by the use of their little grey cells and a leap of the imagination.
See also: cell, grey, little
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • cell
  • little gray cells
  • play down
  • come and go
  • rain stopped play
  • in/with reference to
  • side effect
  • prescription
  • fill (one's) prescription
  • have a sharp tongue
References in classic literature
"These little grey cells. It is 'up to them'--as you say over here." Then, suddenly, he asked: "Are you a judge of finger-marks, my friend?"
HHHHH (Sky Cinema Thriller, 9pm) Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot's little grey cells are well and truly tested in this whodunnit.
All those long words, so hurtful to his little grey cells.
Here are a few questions to occupy the little grey cells of Newcastle United fans this merry festive season.
BBC3, available now If you're looking for something to get your little grey cells working, then this thought-provoking docudrama is for you.
He moves from Allahabad to Mumbai, seemingly to 'settle down', but eyes his share in the big money pie, which he gets without much difficulty - too easily, for the audience to have to rely on their little grey cells. Rizwan idolises Shakun Kothari (Saif Ali Khan), who is the guru of the stock market world, where power corridors run in all directions and form a labyrinth in which the money chasers are lost.
The team of heroes (who admit that they are canine lovers, but we'll ignore that) found that although dog's brains aren't larger, they have more than double the little grey cells that are considered hallmarks of intelligence.
MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS (12A) THE little grey cells of moustachioed sleuth Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh, who also directs) - and cinema audiences unfamiliar with Agatha Christie's fiendish 1934 novel - are rigorously tested in a handsome reimagining of the snowbound murder mystery.
MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS (12A) HHH HH THE little grey cells of moustachioed sleuth Hercule Poirot (Kenneth Branagh, who also directs) - and cinema audiences unfamiliar with Agatha Christie's fiendish 1934 novel - are rigorously tested in a handsome reimagining of the snowbound murder mystery.
murder on the orient express (12A) HHH HH THE little grey cells of moustachioed sleuth Hercule Poirot - and cinema audiences unfamiliar with Agatha Christie's fiendish 1934 novel - are rigorously tested in Kenneth Branagh's handsome reimagining of the snowbound murder mystery.
Patients probably want to hang on to as many of their little grey cells for as long as they can.
AUGUST 23-31: Give your little grey cells a workout by joining London's Mind Olympics.
A study of elderly people by John Hopkins University in Baltimore, USA, found those with impaired hearing lost an extra cubic centimetre of little grey cells every year.
It was curtains for Poirot in Curtain: Poirot's Last Case (Wednesday, STV) as the Belgian detective's little grey cells fired into action one last time in Agatha Christie's ingenious farewell to her most popular and enduring character.
The common-sense approach would probably be to leave the race well alone, but the more I used my little grey cells Poirot-style, the more adamant I became that Thunderstorm could blow his field apart off a mark of 93.