IdiomBody & Senses
English
Englishbe bone idle
Meaning: To be extremely lazy.
Example: “My teenage son is bone idle on weekends; he doesn't get up before noon.”
Origin: "Bone" works as an intensifier: the laziness goes right down to the bone. Robert Forby's Vocabulary of East Anglia (1830) lists "bone-lazy" and "bone-tired," and Thomas Carlyle wrote "bone idle" in a letter of 1836.
Equivalents in other languages
French: Avoir un poil dans la main Literally: To have a hair in the hand
Romanian: A tăia frunză la câini Literally: To cut leaves for the dogs
More English idioms
- have the wind in one's sails To be doing well and moving forward with confidence and momentum.
- talk behind someone's back To say unkind things about someone when they are not present.
- add fuel to the fire To make a bad situation worse.
- be on pins and needles To be very anxious while waiting for something.
- make a killing To make a lot of money quickly.
- worm something out of someone To get information from someone gradually and persistently.
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- Sei in gamba You're sharp, capable, and on the ball.
- Sei un tesoro You're a darling — precious to have around.
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