Idioms Part 16 (Food - Bones) Interactive Game

    

This is the 16th in this series. I've classified it under food except that the image I've used as the background of the game isn't exactly very appetising! LoL! Read the explanation of the idioms before trying your hand at the game (click on the image to begin) unless, of course, you think you know them all already.

bone of contention

Imagine two dogs fighting over a bone - that's your bone of contention! We use this idiom to refer to something that is a subject of disagreement or dispute: These islands have long been a bone of contention between the two countries.

close to the bone

When something is close to the bone, it means that, although it is true, it is something that is offensive and people prefer not to think about it: His comments about racism may be too close to the bone for some people. (Macmillan)

cut/trim/pare something to the bone

To cut the bone is to reduce to the bare minimum: In spite of cutting all our expenses to the bone, we still ended up closing the restaurant.

feel/know something in your bones

You use this to express a certainty you feel about something although you have no proof: When he told me he was going out with Jenny, I wasn't surprised at all as I'd felt it in my bones for a long time.

have a bone to pick with someone

When you tell someone that you have a bone to pick with him, it means that you have reason to be annoyed with him: Don't leave yet! I have a bone to pick with you - what did you tell Sarah yesterday?

make no bones about something

When you say what you think, or do as you please, you are said to make no bones: Karen made no bones about the fact that she's dating her boss.

pick over the bones of something

Don't confuse this with having a bone to pick with someone. To pick over the bones of something is to examine it in great detail, especially if it is to find something valuable for yourself: There wasn’t much left of the estate after the lawyers had picked over the bones. (Macmillan)

Be sure to check out the rest in this series. Go to the index file and search (ctrl F) for 'Idioms'.