scratch the surface

1. Investigate or treat something superficially, as in This feed-the-hungry program only scratches the surface of the problem, or Her survey course barely scratches the surface of economic history. This metaphoric term transfers shallow markings made in a stone or other material to a shallow treatment of a subject or issue. [Early 1900s]

Related Words

• gather 
• interpret 
• know 
• learn 
• refer to www.thesaurus.com
• scan 
• see 
• study 
• translate 
• view