Knives & Blades Of SteelFor The Knife & Blade Enthusiast

Where does the phrase – "I have a bone to pick with you" – come from?

I know what the phrase means. If someone says "I have a bone to pick with you, "meaning they have a problem or argument with you. This means they have the point they need to deal with you. But how where the phrase came from What makes the metaphor stated mean? I can only imagine two little animals fighting over the bone protruding from a channel or something. Any ideas? Any ideas?

It is one of my old family words. But it has fallen out of use since we are no longer cannibals.

Brothers & Sisters 4×11 “A Bone To Pick” Sneak Peek