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The idiom “make no bone about it” means to state something clearly or accept something without objection. Its origin is related to bone-in soups, and it was originally “make bones about it.” Other theories include dice and dogs fighting over bones. It is now commonly used to mean “without discussion.”
The English idiom “make no bone about it” is used in two slightly different ways. In the first sense, it means to discuss or state something in a very open, clear way that leaves little room for dispute or discussion. The idiom can also be used to refer to accepting something without objection. Many English speakers are familiar with this somewhat archaic idiom, even though they may not be aware of its origins.
In fact, the earliest version of this idiom was the other way around: In the 1400s, people would “make bones about it” when they wanted to kick up a fuss. The idiom appears to be related to soup, with the idea that bone-in soups were difficult and unpleasant to swallow, while soups that had been strained to remove the bones could be eaten without problems. When someone made bones on something, he was indicating a difficulty in accepting or swallowing it.
As late as the 1800s, situations where bones were made on something were being discussed and written about. Over time, however, “make no secret” started to be a more commonly accepted version of this idiom. The term is often used in slang, especially slang that is supposed to convey a snappy and light-hearted character. Modern ears are a little less used to it, as it has vanished, along with many other colorful idioms.
While the origin of the soup appears to be highly probable, a few other theories have been proposed to explain this idiom. One suggestion has been that the term is related to dice, which were made of bones, with the idea that dice players would be clear and direct in their dealings, focusing on winning. However, “don’t roll dice about it” sounds a little strange to the ear, and this theory is probably a retroformation. Some people have also suggested that the term may be related to the concept of dogs fighting over a bone, because presumably dogs wouldn’t fight if no bones were present to make a fuss.
Today, many people use the idiom to mean “without discussion,” as in “you’ll do your homework, and there’s no question!” In the sense of stating something clearly, “no mystery about it” suggests that the situation has been described so clearly that no possible objection or argument could have been raised, because all the facts and supporting materials have been presented.
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