Do you ever have a bone to pick with someone?
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (325759)
Rockingham, Australia
January 27, 2022 1:39am CST
There has been some discussion lately around different sayings and idioms and how some are common knowledge in perhaps many countries but others seem more specific to just one or two. ‘Browned off’ was one expression that didn’t seem very well known but something costing ‘an arm and a leg’ was more familiar to people.
It’s hard to guess what’s common and what isn’t so how about ‘to pick a bone with someone. Is that a saying you’re aware of? It means to have an unresolved problem which needs to be talked over and addressed. Research suggests that the origin of this comes from a dog trying to pick the meat off a bone. Dogs often gnaw on bones long after all the meat has gone.
I’ve used this in a fun sense too. I might say to someone ‘Hey, I have a bone to pick with you. You took the last cake off the plate and I had my eye on that.’ And we’d laugh and make a joke of it. Since we’ve talked about idioms on here, I find that I use many in my writing, often without noticing. I guess ‘I had my eye on that’ is another one.
Photo is mine showing a 'browned off' dog at a dog show.
20 people like this
18 responses
@DaddyEvil (137145)
• United States
27 Jan 22
Both of those are used here often enough that most Americans should recognize them.
I was trying to think of something else that "might strike your fancy" but this is the only thing I could think of offhand.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (325759)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 Jan 22
I've just used 'swept under the carpet' when responding to someone and previously, when talking about Adolphe Sax, I was going to say 'he must have killed a Chinaman' but thought that maybe people wouldn't know what I was talking about.
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@DaddyEvil (137145)
• United States
27 Jan 22
@JudyEv I recognize both of those, too. (Of course, I wouldn't actually use the second one, though.)
Oh, "by the skin of my teeth" is another one my parents used when I was little. It means when you just barely managed to do something, like find enough money for a bill.
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@JudyEv (325759)
• Rockingham, Australia
28 Jan 22
@DaddyEvil Yes, I know that one too. And the Chinaman one wouldn't be PC now. And fair enough.
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@LindaOHio (156159)
• United States
27 Jan 22
I'm familiar with that phrase. Cute dog.
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@JudyEv (325759)
• Rockingham, Australia
28 Jan 22
@LindaOHio We watched for a while at one dog show while all those up for Champion of Show went through their paces.
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@LindaOHio (156159)
• United States
28 Jan 22
@JudyEv I love looking at all the different breeds though.
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@freelancermariagrace (27219)
• Philippines
28 Jan 22
That isn’t common here. Thank you for sharing! I’d use it with my partner the next time we have an argument
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@sharonelton (24987)
• Lichfield, England
27 Jan 22
Yes, I've heard of that saying. Don't we say some strange things sometimes?
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@sharonelton (24987)
• Lichfield, England
28 Jan 22
@JudyEv Yes, absolutely. I can only imagine what they think!
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@RebeccasFarm (86755)
• United States
27 Jan 22
Indeed I do as you well know our Judy.
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@RebeccasFarm (86755)
• United States
27 Jan 22
@JudyEv Yes but there are laws that only apply to me..I would give them what for Judy right quick.
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@wolfgirl569 (95145)
• Marion, Ohio
28 Jan 22
@JudyEv It does seem to be. Some seem to be local only
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@chrissbergstrom (10767)
• Banks, Oregon
28 Jan 22
Oh yes that one is very well known, howabout this one "Tend to it and shutter down" that was one of my favorite sayings of my grandpa.
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@bunnybon7 (50973)
• Holiday, Florida
27 Jan 22
I've heard all those except "browned off" ?
I met an Irish guy once on a bus and we were talking when he said he was a little "pissed" I thought it meant he was mad over something I said. I said sorry, what did I say that pissed you off ? and he told me that meant he had been drinking and thought he was a little drunk.
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