food for thought

Idioms  

1. An idea or issue to ponder, as in That interesting suggestion of yours has given us food for thought. This metaphoric phrase, transferring the idea of digestion from the stomach to mulling something over in the mind, dates from the late 1800s, although the idea was also expressed somewhat differently at least three centuries earlier.

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Example Sentences

Penelope had no interest in revenge, but as a person in the midst of a daring escape herself, The Count of Monte Cristo offered food for thought.

From Literature

Ahead of Tuesday night, Scotland's limp beginning isn't so much food for thought for Clarke, it's a veritable feast, a banquet of things to fix, in tactics, in formation, in selection, in psychology.

From BBC

This will give Arsenal's talented 19-year-old food for thought if he has designs on playing for England at the World Cup.

From BBC

What is “Love is Blind” if not food for thought about your own desires and must-haves in a relationship?

From Los Angeles Times

It gave Keegan food for thought at a critical juncture of the title race.

From BBC