# make no bones about

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/make-no-bones-about
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To do, indicate, or say something clearly and without hesitation, even if it may be unpleasant.

## Examples

- He makes no bones about his dislike for spicy food.
- The manager made no bones about the fact that we need to improve our sales numbers immediately.
- My neighbor makes no bones about his desire to buy my old car, constantly asking me for a price every time we meet in the driveway.
- She made no bones about her opposition to the new policy, stating clearly that it would harm the company in the long run.

## Origin

The phrase refers to the discovery of animal bones in one's food, a circumstance which generally occasioned a complaint to the cook. It is a development of the now-obsolete expression to find no bones in, which described the experience of encountering no hindrances or obstacles while eating. Finding a bone required one to stop and negotiate a difficulty; finding no bones allowed one to proceed without hesitation. In this sense, the idiom is a culinary relative of having a bone to pick, though it focuses on the absence of protest rather than the initiation of a grievance.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.