What does "have a bone to pick" mean?
What does it mean when someone says they "have a bone to pick with you."?
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Means to have a cause for dispute with someone. Purportedly an allusion to the kennel: two dogs and one bone invariably form a basis for a fight.(from Brewer's)
View ArticleRe: What does "have a bone to pick" mean?
When someone says "I've got / I have a bone to pick with you" it means, in my experience, "look out: I've got a grievance about something you did (and I'm going to enjoy expressing it all the more...
View ArticleRe: What does "have a bone to pick" mean?
My interpretation is that this explanation conflates the underlying metaphors two different phrases, "bone to pick with one" and "bone of contention."The latter is clearly based on the kennel...
View ArticleRe: What does "have a bone to pick" mean?
"Also when citing "Brewer's" it is useful to give the edition. There are some 15 editions (16?) over the last century and they vary widely in accuracy and reliability. The latest editions are quite...
View ArticleRe: What does "have a bone to pick" mean?
>> A "bone to pick with you" originally meant an issue that would take some time to work out between the two people.
View ArticleRe: What does "have a bone to pick" mean?
From Word Detective May 23, 2001Bone to pick," which dates back to the 16th century, simply refers to a dog chewing endlessly on, and "picking clean," a large bone. A "bone to pick" is thus a subject...
View ArticleRe: What does "have a bone to pick" mean?
It seems to me a fairly straightforward shift in meaning. An issue that takes significant time to resolve is one that will probably result in animosity.
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