make no bones about

English

WOTD – 29 August 2024

Etymology

A reference to complaining about finding animal bones in food;^[1] compare find no bones in (“(obsolete) to experience no hindrances or obstacles; to do something without hesitation”)^[2] and have a bone to pick.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌmeɪk nəʊ ˈbəʊnz əˌbaʊt/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌmeɪk noʊ ˈboʊnz əˌbaʊt/

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Verb

make no bones about (third-person singular simple present makes no bones about, present participle making no bones about, simple past and past participle made no bones about)

1. (idiomatic) To do, indicate, or say something clearly and without hesitation, even if it may be unpleasant. [from 16th c.]

   Antonym: (dated) make bones about

   • [1549 February 10 (Gregorian calendar; indicated as 1548), Erasmus, “The Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Ghospell of S. Luke. The fyrst Chapter.”, in Nicolas Udall [i.e., Nicholas Udall], transl., The First Tome or Volume of the Paraphrase of Erasmus vpon the Newe Testamente, London: […] Edwarde Whitchurche, →OCLC, folio xxviii, recto:

     [B]earyng hymſelfe [Abraham] bolde vpon goddes promyſſe, he made no manner bones ne ſtickyng, but wente in hande to offer vp his onely ſonne Iſaac in ſacrifyce, […]]

   • 1571, John Calvin, “[Commentary on Psalm 73:8–9]”, in Arthur Golding, transl., The Psalmes of Dauid and Others. With M. Iohn Caluin’s Commentaries, London: […] Thomas East and Henry Middelton; for Lucas Harison, and G[e]orge Byshop, →OCLC, 1st part, folio 275, verso, column 2:

     Therefore if any man alledge Gods power ageinſt thẽ [them], they bruſt through it boldly, & asfor mans hand, they make no bones at it, & ſo their great talking tung ſtinteth for no ſtoppes, but walketh ouer all the whole earth.

   • 1608, [Guillaume de Salluste] Du Bartas, “[Du Bartas His Second VVeeke, […]. David. […].] The Decay. The IIII. Book of the IIII. Day of the II. Week.”, in Josuah Sylvester, transl., Du Bartas His Deuine Weekes and Workes […], 3rd edition, London: […] Humfrey Lownes [and are to be sold by Arthur Iohnson […]], published 1611, →OCLC, page 619:

     He (to beguile the ſimple) makes no bone / To ſvvear by God (for he beleeues ther's none); / His Svvord's his Title; and vvho ſcapes the ſame, / Shall haue a Piſtol, or a Poyſonie dram: […]

   • 1797 July 15 (first performance), George Colman [the Younger], The Heir at Law: A Comedy, […], Dublin: […] T. Burnside, […], and George Folingsby, […], published 1798, →OCLC, Act I, scene i, page 7:

     Never ſpoke to him but once, in all my born life, upon electioneering matter—that's a time vvhen moſt of your proud folks make no bones of tippling vvith a tallovv-chandler, in his back room, on a melting day: […]

   • [1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, “Temptation”, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume II, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1850, →OCLC, page 263:

     What's to prevent him from putting you or anybody else into his place if he likes? Do you think that the Government or the Opposition would make any bones about accepting the seat if he offered it to them?]

   • 1881–1882, Robert Louis Stevenson, “The Voyage”, in Treasure Island, London; Paris: Cassell & Company, published 14 November 1883, →OCLC, part II (The Sea Cook), page 82:

     The squire made no bones about the matter; he despised the captain.

   • 1900, Mrs. Lang [i.e., Leonora Blanche Alleyne, et al.], “The Ogre”, in Andrew Lang, editor, The Grey Fairy Book, London; New York, N.Y.: Longmans, Green, and Co. […], →OCLC, page 348:

     When his master saw the lad returning in such a sorry plight, he understood at once what had happened to him, and making no bones about the matter, he told Antonio what a fool he had been to allow himself to be so imposed upon by the landlord, and to let a worthless animal be palmed off on him instead of his magic donkey.

   • 1919, W[illiam] Somerset Maugham, chapter XII, in The Moon and Sixpence, [New York, N.Y.]: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers […], →OCLC:

     I was prepared to be persuasive, touching, and hortatory, admonitory and expostulating, if need be vituperative even, indignant and sarcastic; but what the devil does a mentor do when the sinner makes no bones about confessing his sin?

   • 1928, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, chapter XIV, in Lady Chatterley’s Lover, [Germany?]: Privately printed, →OCLC:

     Those other «pure» women had nearly taken all the balls out of me, but she was all right that way. She wanted me, and made no bones about it. And I was as pleased as punch. That was what I wanted: a woman who wanted me to fuck her. So I fucked her like a good un.

   • 1932, Edgar Wallace, Merian C[aldwell] Cooper, novelization by Delos W[heeler] Lovelace, chapter 3, in King Kong, trade softcover edition, Nevada City, Calif.: Underwood Books, published 2005, →ISBN, page 19:

     "I guess you don't think much of a woman on a ship do you?" / "Not to make any bones about it, she’s usually a cock-eyed pest."

   • 2002 August 25, Kate Connolly, Amelia Hill, “Rattles^{[sic – meaning Rattle]} fires parting shot at Brit Art bratpack”, in Alan Rusbridger, editor, The Guardian‎, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2024-08-15:

     One of the Berlin Philharmonic's musicians, horn player Fergus McWilliam from Scotland, said: 'He [Simon Rattle]'s clearly seeing it as his life's work, he's made no bones about that. There is a heightened sense of anticipation among the musicians.'

   • 2005 March 13, Denny Lee, “Neighborhood report: East Village—The chase: Looking for Mr. Right Now”, in The New York Times (section 14)‎, New York, N.Y.: The New York Times Company, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 2024-01-12, page 10:

     Vince, a natty 23-year-old financial analyst from Hoboken, made no bones about his agenda. "I love it here, it's so whorish," he said. […] "If you want to find sex, this is the place."

Usage notes

Formerly also used with other prepositions such as at, in, of, and to.^[3]

Related terms

• find no bones in (obsolete)
• have a bone to pick
• make bones about (dated)

Translations

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

Finnish: sanoa suoraan Galician: please add this translation if you can German: frei heraus sagen, kein Aufheben machen von, keine Umschweife machen, nicht viel Aufhebens machen um Greek: έξω απ' τα δόντια (el) (éxo ap' ta dóntia)

See also

• mince words
• unflinching
• unhesitating
• unsparing

References

1. Gary Martin (1997–) “Make no bones about”, in The Phrase Finder.
2. “† to find no bones in, phrase” under “bone, n.¹”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, June 2024.
3. “to make bones about; to make no bones about, phrase” under “bone, n.¹”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, June 2024; “make no bones about, phrase”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.