make no bones about

M

make no bones about

Meaning

• to talk openly about something, instead of being silent
• to express a fact frankly without any doubt
• state or deal with something awkward without any hesitation
• to be open and frank about something
• acknowledge something freely (verb)
• to be confident and sure about something (see example #8, 9, 10)

Example Sentences

1. She makes no bones about his feelings towards the protestors.
2. He made no bones about his satisfaction with the teaching in the school.
3. Sam always makes no bones about his political views with others.
4. He made no bones about his injury, which his team-mates did not know.
5. The government makes no bones about the fact that new legislation is designed to criminalise particular forms of public protest.
6. Chelsea star Timo Werner is making no bones about his poor performance in the recent matches.
7. The parents are making no bones about their displeasure over online teaching during the pandemic.
8. Make no bones about it. We are going to win.
9. Make no bones about it. The United States has the best football team in the world right now.
10. The turnaround that led to the win for this match deserves immense credit. Make no bones about it.

Origin

The phrase “make no bones about” originated from the 15th-century expression “find no bones,” which means – to find no problems or complications with something. That old saying referred to the soup that was easy to gulp because it had no bones in it.

The oldest reference of the expression in print derives from the Paston Letters, which includes a collection of texts from 1459 relating to an argument between Paston and the family of the Norfolk soldier Sir John Fastolf.

“And fond that tyme no bonys in the matere.”

The phrase “make no bones” started appearing in printing records from the 16th century. However, the saying “make no bones about it” began to be recorded in prints only after 1885.

Assorted, Speech