Bare-bones

Bare-bones is an adjective that means including only what is most basic or necessary.

The bare bones is a plural noun that refers to the most basic or important elements or parts of something.

For example, a bare-bones budget is a budget that only covers the essential expenses, and the bare bones of a story are the main plot points.

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bare-bones

ADJECTIVE
reduced to or comprising only the basic or essential elements of something:
"a bare-bones version of the story"
synonyms:
shortened;·;cut;·;cut
pro forma


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"No bones" is an idiom that means to be very sure and definite about something. It can also mean "without argument". For example, "make no bones about the seriousness of the matter" means to be very clear and direct about how serious the matter is1. Another example is "you'll do your homework, and no bones about it!" which means that there is no room for argument or discussion.

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make no bones about
idiom
: to be very sure and definite about (something)
Make no bones about the seriousness of the matter.
He made no bones about his plans to cut expenses.
Make no bones about it—we will win.


Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web
Lawyer Brettler and his royal client make no bones about the value of the 2009 release agreement to their strategy.
—Guy Martin, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2021
Would be 2025, but make no bones about it.
—Staff Reports, cleveland, 14 Oct. 2022
Advocates of the bills make no bones about their intent.
—Michael Smolenscolumnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Apr. 2022

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make no bones about
idiom
: to be very sure and definite about (something)
Make no bones about the seriousness of the matter.
He made no bones about his plans to cut expenses.
Make no bones about it—we will win.


Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web
Lawyer Brettler and his royal client make no bones about the value of the 2009 release agreement to their strategy.
—Guy Martin, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2021
Would be 2025, but make no bones about it.
—Staff Reports, cleveland, 14 Oct. 2022
Advocates of the bills make no bones about their intent.
—Michael Smolenscolumnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Apr. 2022

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What Does Skeletons in the Closet Mean?
Home » Phrase and Idiom Dictionary » What Does Skeletons in the Closet Mean?


Skeletons in the Closet Meaning
Definition: A shameful secret that could seriously harm a person’s reputation if people discovered it.

The metaphor in this expression is clear. It likens a family or personal secret to a murder victim hidden in a closet.

Origin of Skeletons in the Closet
There is no source material showing that this metaphor got its beginnings from a literal event. While it is possible that someone somewhere was hiding skeletons in his or her closet (stranger things have happened), there isn’t a known historical event that points to this specific phrase.

Instead, it first appeared as a metaphor in the early 1800s. Thackeray, Dickens, George Meredith, as well as other nineteenth-century British writers used the expression in their novels.


Not limited to murder victims, the expression is metaphorical and can refer to any shameful secret.

Examples of Skeletons in the Closet
skeleton-in-the-closet-idiomIn this conversation, a mother and daughter are discussing the new boyfriend the daughter has.

Daughter: I’m inviting my new boyfriend over for dinner tonight, so you and Dad can finally meet him.

Mother: Great! Just don’t let your father learn his last name.

Daughter: Why not?


Mother: He wants to do a background check on him to make sure he isn’t some type of criminal.

Daughter: Oh my goodness! Why would he do that?

Mother: Your father believes everyone has skeletons in the closet, and he just wants to make sure you’re safe.


what does skeletons in your closet meanIn this example, two coworkers are discussing silly beliefs that their parents have.

Dave: My mom always tries to convince everyone that she can speak French, even though she can’t.

Ben: That’s so strange. Why?

Dave: She thinks speaking French would make her seem high class.

Ben: Ah, I see. My Dad does something similar. He tells everyone he inherited his money, even though he earned it all himself.

Dave: Why? He should be proud of earning it!

Ben: I agree, but he actually made his money from designing a new way to flush toilets. He’s embarrassed by it, and considers it to be a skeleton in the closet. He doesn’t want anyone to know about it.

More Examples
This excerpt is about allowing some criminals to erase records of their crimes after serving their punishment.

While Berkeley law students have been serving clean-slate clients, University of California researchers have been studying the results. We already know that clean-slate interventions increase a person’s ability to get a job and provide him or her with a profound sense of relief: No more skeletons in the closet. –LA Times
This excerpt is from a person trying to discover proof of wrongdoing.

So as they continue this obscene fight to keep their team — the latest blow Shelly Sterling’s threat Tuesday to the New York Times that, if necessary, she will depose every NBA owner to expose any skeletons in the closet — they need to know that they are fighting for an ideal that has been forever lost. –LA Times
Summary
The phrase skeletons in the closet refers to any shameful fact that a person tries to cover up so that no one else will ever learn about it.