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The idiom “a bone to pick” means an argument or offense. Its origin is from the metaphor of two dogs fighting over a bone. It’s becoming obsolete and replaced with more direct language, especially in business contexts.
The idiom, “a bone to pick,” in English refers to an argument or disagreement between two people. In some slightly different meanings, it can mean that someone has offended someone or done something wrong to them. However, if someone says, “I have a problem with you,” they are expressing a problem or disagreement that exists between them and another person.
Experts trace the origin of the phrase to the 1600s. An alternative phrase, “bone of contention,” has also been established in the English lexicon. Both of these sentences refer to a specific metaphor. The metaphor is that of two dogs fighting over a bone. The word “pick” is related to the idea of a dog picking a clean bone or chewing all the remaining flesh and tissue off the bone.
In a more general context, the “one bone to pick” idiom goes hand in hand with ideas of people, such as dogs, that they have “territory” or “terrain.” However, this falls outside most usages of the phrase, as it is often used not to describe a territorial matter, but instead, a matter of actions that are seen as offensive. In using the phrase, the speaker generally shows that they are angry at something someone else has done.
It’s important to note that for many English communities, the phrase “a bone to pick” has become somewhat obsolete. In many cases, it is perceived as overly archaic, poetic or colloquial. Using the phrase, to some English speakers, can also mark someone as old-fashioned or rural. Instead, many English speakers now use more direct and technical sentences to express the same idea.
The trend towards more simplistic speech to express contention is often seen in the business context. For example, it’s relatively rare to hear English-speaking people in an office say to someone, “I have a problem with you.” It’s more common to hear someone say, “We have a problem” or “We have a problem here.” The person will then usually elaborate what the problem is. Part of the trend towards using simpler, and therefore more abstract, language probably has to do with a move away from the argumentative tone of phrases like “I’ve got a bone to pick with you”, which tend to carry a more personal tone .
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