beat(/cudgel/rack) one’s brains; muse and ponder over;sink into deep thought; think long and hard ❍ 只有蠢人，才是他一个人，或者邀集一堆人，不作调查，而只是～地“想办法”，“打主意”。(《毛泽东著作选读》20) Only a blockhead cudgels his brains on his own,or together with a group,to “find a solution” or “evolve an idea”without making any investigation.