brain surgery

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

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.

• 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.

• (something complex and confusing): rocket science