Pick And Choose

One of the most frequently used cliches is 'pick and choose'. At first blush, one would have to say that the reason for its popularity is a nobrainer. It appears to be very explicit. We pick several alternatives and choose one to act upon. The problem is that in order to pick several alternatives one must choose from a number of alternatives. In order to choose among several alternatives one must pick out what is the best of two or more alternatives. I would conclude that although to pick and choose is meant to make a selection with great care, more often than not, it has the selector on a merry go round. It is redundant at best. Perhaps it would be best to whittle down a large number of alternatives to  a few and then pick or choose the best. Better yet, get off the merry - go - round, skip the whittling and either pick or choose .