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Have A Bone To Pick

Idiomatic Phrase
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

An idiomatic phrase meaning to hold a lingering grievance or dispute that demands resolution; used in dramatic dialogue and verse.

Detailed Definition
The image suggests two people arguing over a bone, each refusing to release the disputed object. In poetry, the bone may become a literal relic, a family inheritance, or the hard remnant of an old injustice. The idiom gives complaint a tactile center, showing how resentment can be gnawed repeatedly until confrontation becomes the only way to speak.
Example
Example in poetry:
The river has a bone to pick with the factory that darkens its water; In the poem, the old oak has a bone to pick with the woodcutter; The speaker has a bone to pick with silence, which hid the truth from her family; At the town meeting, the sparrows seem to have a bone to pick with the mayor's new tower.
Additional Notes
To “have a bone to pick” with someone is to have a complaint or unresolved grievance that one wants to discuss. It often signals a mildly confrontational conversation, though the seriousness depends on tone. “Raise an issue” is a more neutral alternative.
Also Known As
Have An Axe To Grind Have A Score To Settle
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