have a bone to pick (with one)
To have an issue to discuss, argue about, or bring up (with one), typically something that is a source of annoyance for the speaker. Hey, I have a bone to pick with you! Why didn't you put gas in my car after you borrowed it? Uh oh, the boss looks like she's got a bone to pick. I wonder who screwed up this time. Jerry, we have a bone to pick with you about how you leave your dirty dishes in the sink for days at a time.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
bone to pick, have a
An unpleasant issue or grievance that needs discussion. For example, Concerning the room assignments, I have a bone to pick with you. This metaphoric term alludes to a dog worrying a bone. [Early 1500s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.