Pickings are the things available to choose from or take, especially when talking about what's left over or what opportunities exist. When someone says “the pickings were slim,” they mean there wasn't much to choose from. After the bake sale had been going for two hours, the pickings were pretty slim: just a few oatmeal cookies and one slightly squashed cupcake remained.

The word often appears when describing what's available in a situation. A farmer might talk about good pickings during harvest season when the crops are abundant. Someone arriving late to choose teams for dodgeball might find the pickings disappointing, with only the slowest runners left.

Easy pickings means something that's simple to get or take advantage of. A chess player who spots their opponent's undefended queen might think “easy pickings!” before making their move. Sometimes the phrase suggests being cautious: unlocked bicycles are easy pickings for thieves.