make no bones about

Idioms  

1. Act or speak frankly about something, without hesitation or evasion. For example, Tom made no bones about wanting to be promoted, or Make no bones about it—she's very talented. Versions of this expression date back to the mid-1400s and the precise allusion is no longer known. Some believe it meant a boneless stew or soup that one could eat without hesitation; others relate it to dice, originally made from bones, that were thrown without hesitation or fuss.

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Example Sentences

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make no bones about

Single-stock ETF managers make no bones about the risks, emphasizing that they aren’t meant for long-term investors but rather active traders.

From Barron's ● Dec. 10, 2025

Curators Anne-Lise Desmas at the Getty and Emerson Bowyer at the Art Institute of Chicago, where the show was seen last fall, make no bones about articulating the sculptor’s very real travails.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 17, 2024

“I make no bones about having the pleasure to actually come and cheer on Team USA,” Blinken said during a news conference, when asked by reporters how he justified the trip.

From Washington Post ● Nov. 22, 2022

“Last night was ugly, make no bones about that. But this isn’t the first time we’ve lost a Game 1 and won the series,” Cooper said after practice Tuesday.

From Seattle Times ● May 3, 2022

“They make no bones about it,” thought Mitya, “they don't keep up the most elementary politeness.”

From The Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky, Fyodor