Etymology Journal ยท A
A bone to pick
Meaning
- Having a bone to pick means you have a grievance or a complaint you want to discuss with someone. You are essentially looking for an argument or a resolution to a conflict.
Stern, confrontational
Used in a sentence
- I have a bone to pick with you about who finished the last of the coffee.
- Look, I do not want to fight, but I have a bone to pick about the lawn mower.
- She walked into the office saying she had a bone to pick with the accounting department.
The backstory
The metaphor comes from the idea of a dog gnawing on a bone, which is a tedious and difficult task. It suggests that the conversation will be just as laborious.
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