Expressions with the word BONE

Today's word is a little weird, I must confess, but hey anything counts right? If you don't know what a bone is, just think of what a skeleton is made of. Yes, they're made of bones. It is easier to see bones sticking out of thin people. When you see a very skinny model, for example, you might want to say something like "I saw a model that was nothing but skin and bone". That means she was really really skiny. That's not a very kind thing to say by the way, is it?

Speaking of bones, you know when you hit a spot near your elbow bone that is very sensitive? It seems to give you an eletric shock, doesn't it? We call that spot 'funny bone'. Yes, what gives you the shock may not be the bone itself, but some kind of nerve around; still, we call it funny bone, as in: I bumped my funny bone and made a horrendous face. That's a horrible feeling by the way. Do you remember the last time you bumped your funny bone?

But let's move on to our next expression: to make no bones about something. This expresion goes especially to people who don't mince words [that means they're very straightfoward and have no fear to say what bothers them]. For example, you're at a restaurant with your wife and you think it's taking way too long to be taken the order, and when the food finally comes it is not the option you made. You're so annoyed by now that you go straight to the manager to make a formal complaint and make no bones about your dissatisfaction with the restaurant service. But wait, to make no bones? What does that mean? It means to say clearly what you think of something although it may offend or embarrass someone. You went to the manager to say your opinion about the restaurant regardless of how he may feel about it. You made no bones about it.

Let's suppose now you're still at that restaurant with your wife. It was actually she who invited you to the restaurant. She said she had a bone to pick with you. You think that is a good thing? She having to pick a bone with you? Well, it's surely not. You certainly messed up with her, did something that she did not appreciate and now she wants to talk to you about it. That's what she meant when she said she had a bone to pick with you. She wanted to discuss something you did that bothered her. You'd better run now.

Let's still use the previous example: You're at a restaurant with your wife discussing something bad you did. Let's say you've arrived home very late at night for the last 3 weeks and now you're in the middle of a restaurant trying to explain your wife you've done nothing wrong. Of course she won't buy it so easily. The discussion goes on for hours and no progress seems to have made so far. Actually you both go home still in a bad vibe. The other day, While talking to one of your friends about it, you say: We faught for so long that we forgot what the bone of contention was. What's the bone of contention here? It means the point of an argument. In your case, the bone of contention was you getting home late every night for 3 weeks. That's the unsettled point of disagreement. That's what the bone of content is. I hope this helps. Take care!