English Reference
Idiom idiom

rickle o' banes


An emaciated person or animal.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

“That poor stray dog is just a rickle o' banes.”

CONTEXTUAL

“After months of illness, the once strong man looked like a mere rickle o' banes.”

COMPLEX

“The famine had reduced the villagers to a pitiable state, leaving each one a shivering rickle o' banes struggling to survive the winter.”


Related idioms3entries
  1. 01

    a boon and a bane

    Something that is both a benefit and an affliction.

  2. 02

    bane of someone's existence

    Someone or something that poses a significant problem to someone.

  3. 03

    boon and bane

    Something that is both a benefit and an affliction.

Last updated August 10, 2026