View source for make no bones about

==English==
{{was wotd|2024|August|29}}

===Etymology===
{{root|en|ine-pro|*meh₂ǵ-|*bʰeyh₂-|id2=strike}}
A reference to complaining about finding animal bones in food;<ref>{{R:Phrase Finder}}</ref> compare {{m|en|find no bones in|t=(''obsolete'') to experience no hindrances or obstacles; to do something without hesitation}}<ref>{{R:OED Online|subentry=† to find no bones in|subpos=phrase|entry=bone|pos=''n.''{{sup|1}}|noformat=1|id=1157268127|date=June 2024}}</ref> and {{m|en|have a bone to pick}}.

===Pronunciation===
* {{IPA|en|/ˌmeɪk nəʊ ˈbəʊnz əˌbaʊt/|a=RP}}
* {{IPA|en|/ˌmeɪk noʊ ˈboʊnz əˌbaʊt/|a=GA}}
* {{audio|en|En-au-make no bones about.ogg|a=AU}}

===Verb===
{{en-verb|make<,,made> no bones about}}

# {{lb|en|idiomatic}} To [[do#Verb|do]], [[indicate]], or [[say#Verb|say]] something [[clearly]] and without [[hesitation]], even if it may be [[unpleasant]]. {{defdate|from 16th c.}}
#: {{antonyms|en|make bones about<q:dated>}}
#* {{RQ:Erasmus Newe Testamente|tome=1|book=Luke|chapter=I|folio=xxviii|passage=[B]earyng hymſelfe {{quote-gloss|{{w|Abraham}}}} bolde vpon goddes promyſſe, he '''made no''' manner '''bones''' ne ſtickyng, but wente in hande to offer vp his onely ſonne [[w:Isaac|Iſaac]] in ſacrifyce, {{...}}|brackets=on}}
#* {{RQ:Calvin Golding Psalmes|chapter=[Commentary on {{w|Psalm 73}}:8–9]|folio=275|verso=1|column=2|passage=Therefore if any man alledge Gods power ageinſt thẽ {{quote-gloss|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.}}
#* {{RQ:Sylvester Du Bartas|day=4|part=4|page=619|passage=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: {{...}}}}
#* {{RQ:G. Colman Heir at Law|page=7|passage=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: {{...}}}}
#* {{RQ:Thackeray Pendennis|volume=II|chapter=Temptation|page=263|passage=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?|brackets=on}}
#* {{RQ:Stevenson Treasure Island|chapter=The Voyage|page=82|passage=The squire '''made no bones about''' the matter; he despised the captain.}}
#* {{RQ:Lang Grey Fairy Book|story=Ogre|page=348|passage=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.}}
#* {{RQ:Maugham Moon and Sixpence|chapter=XII|passage=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?}}
#* {{RQ:Lawrence Lady Chatterley's Lover|chapter=XIV|page-242|passage=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.}}
#* {{quote-book|en|author=w:Edgar Wallace; [[w:Merian C. Cooper|Merian C[aldwell] Cooper]]; novelization by [[w:Delos W. Lovelace|Delos W[heeler] Lovelace]]|chapter=3|title=w:King Kong|edition=trade softcover|location=Nevada City, Calif.|publisher=Underwood Books|year=1932|year_published=2005|page=19|pageurl=https://archive.org/details/kingkong0000love/page/19/mode/1up|isbn=978-1-887424-91-2|passage="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."}}
#* {{RQ:Guardian|author=Kate Connolly; Amelia Hill|title=Rattles{{sic|Rattle}} fires parting shot at Brit Art bratpack|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240815073542/https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2002/aug/25/arts.artsnews|date=25 August 2002|passage=One of the Berlin Philharmonic's musicians, horn player Fergus McWilliam from Scotland, said: 'He {{quote-gloss|{{w|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.'}}
#* {{RQ:NYT|author=Denny Lee|title=Neighborhood report: East Village—The chase: Looking for Mr. Right Now|section=14|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240112230311/http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/13/nyregion/thecity/looking-for-mr-right-now.html|date=13 March 2005|page=10|passage=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 {{glossary|prepositions}} such as ''at'', ''in'', ''of'', and ''to''.<ref>{{R:OED Online|subentry=to make bones about; to make no bones about|subpos=phrase|entry=bone|pos=''n.''{{sup|1}}|noformat=1|id=1157268127|date=June 2024|nodot=1}}; {{R:Lexico|pos=phrase}}</ref>

====Related terms====
* {{l|en|find no bones in}} {{qualifier|obsolete}}
* {{l|en|have a bone to pick}}
* {{l|en|make bones about}} {{qualifier|dated}}

====Translations====
{{trans-top|to do, indicate, or say something clearly and without hesitation, even if it may be unpleasant}}
* Finnish: {{t|fi|[[sanoa]] [[suoraan]]}}
* Galician: {{t-needed|gl}}
* German: {{t|de|frei heraus sagen}}, {{t|de|kein Aufheben machen von}}, {{t|de|keine Umschweife machen}}, {{t|de|nicht viel Aufhebens machen um}}
* Greek: {{t+|el|έξω απ' τα δόντια}}
{{trans-bottom}}

====See also====
* {{l|en|mince words}}
* {{l|en|unflinching}}
* {{l|en|unhesitating}}
* {{l|en|unsparing}}

===References===
<references/>

{{cln|en|negative polarity items}}