pick up on

English

Pronunciation

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Verb

pick up on (third-person singular simple present picks up on, present participle picking up on, simple past and past participle picked up on)

1. (transitive, idiomatic) To notice, observe, learn, or understand, especially something otherwise overlooked.
   • 1882, Charlotte M. Yonge, chapter 18, in Magnum Bonum; or, Mother Carey's Brood:

     "Remember, I know more about it than only what you picked up on that morning."

   • 1980, Norman Spinrad, The Mind Game, page 22:

     No wonder I didn't pick up on what was happening.

   • 1999 December 12, Andrew Goldstein, “The Victims: Never Again”, in Time:

     Why didn't the police or the school pick up on the killers' warning signs?

   • 2011 Allen Gregory, "Pilot" (season 1, episode 1):

     Patrick: Well, maybe you're just too smart for everybody.

     Allen Gregory DeLongpre: Hmm, that's a good point, Pete. You pick up on stuff, don't you?

     Patrick: I don't know. It's Patrick, though.

     Allen Gregory: I don't care.

   • 2011 May 11, Arthur S. Brisbane, “The Other Torture Debate”, in New York Times, retrieved 24 May 2011:

     Readers and bloggers alertly picked up on the nuances of language, and what some called the inconsistencies.

   • 2023 August 23, “Network News: RAIB cites driver fatigue as factor in 28mph collision”, in RAIL, number 990, page 13:

     Making recommendations to GBRf to improve its fatigue management, RAIB notes that GBRf missed an opportunity to pick up on the driver's potential fatigue.

2. (transitive, idiomatic) To continue or build upon (for example, a task, analysis, or narrative), beginning from a point at which someone has previously stopped.
   • 2009 October 31, Neil Harman, “Caroline Wozniacki reaches semi-finals”, in Times Online, UK, retrieved 24 May 2011:

     Andy Murray has landed in Valencia for next week’s ATP tournament to pick up on his interrupted year, six weeks after the Davis Cup tie against Poland when he played three times in successive days and exacerbated the damage to his left wrist.

3. (transitive, idiomatic) To adopt a practice in which others already engage.
   • 2004 September 16, Patrick Saunders, “Eye on the Jaguars”, in Denver Post, page D10:

     "What you've got to do is, you've got to study the guy and try to pick up on his techniques, try to pick up what he's real good at."

   • 2010 June 30, Justin Bergman, “China's TV Dating Shows: For Love or Money?”, in Time:

     China was slow to pick up on the reality-TV trend.

Synonyms

• (notice): grasp, spot
• (continue): resume
• (adopt a practice of others): imitate

References

• “pick up on”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.