ENGLISH
REFERENCE

pickin' and grinnin'

idiom
Meaning

Vigorous playing of folk or country music on a stringed musical instrument, especially the guitar or banjo, while smiling broadly.


Examples
SIMPLE

They sit on the porch pickin' and grinnin' all afternoon.

CONTEXTUAL

Every Saturday, the local musicians gather at the park for some pickin' and grinnin' to entertain the neighborhood.

COMPLEX

The old men gathered around the campfire, pickin' and grinnin' until the early hours of the morning, their joy evident in every strum of the banjo.

Anchors to

Last updated July 12, 2026