A Bone to Pick: The Language of Disagreements
Discussions, disagreements, arguments — they can happen at every workplace, or even around the kitchen table at home!
At the start of a disagreement, you and the other person — or people — will not "see eye to eye," meaning you don't agree with one another.
In fact, you may find that you're "poles apart." This means you've got very different ideas — and they feel as far apart as the North Pole and the South Pole!
One person may even have "a bone to pick" with someone else. This means they have a problem they really want to talk about, like two dogs fighting over a bone.
Get ready for that person to try to "pick holes" in your argument — as if your ideas are a piece of paper that the other person is trying to make weaker.
We might even say that two people having an argument are "crossing swords," because you could almost see them holding real swords!
If things are getting a bit too much, you might have to offer "an olive branch" and make peace — or meet the other person "halfway," meaning you agree with some things, but not everything.
However, if you're not ready to give in, you may choose to "stick to your guns" or "dig your heels in."
These both mean you're not changing what you believe — if you "dig your heels in" you really push them down so you can't be moved.
If you can't "find common ground" — find something you both agree about — you may just have to "agree to disagree."
But in many arguments, someone always wants "the last word" — they want to say the final thing before ending the discussion, perhaps so they can leave feeling they won, even if they really didn't!
