brjóta heilann

Icelandic

Etymology

Literally “to break the brain”.

Verb

brjóta heilann (strong verb, third-person singular past indicative braut heilann, third-person plural past indicative brutu heilann, supine brotið heilann)

1. to ponder, to rack one's brain

   Ég hef brotið heilann um spurninguna.

   I've been racking my brain about the question.

Usage notes

• When transitive this phrase is followed by "um eitthvað" (about something (in the accusative)).