to the bone—
1. to the inmost part; completely:
- She was English to the bone and so naturally loved puzzles and intellectual entertainments.
2. (coll., of prices) reduce as much as possible:
- We’ve cut our prices to the bone, and still the public aren’t buying.
Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase close to the bone—
1. tactless to the point of offensiveness:
- a remark close to the bone; a joke close to the bone.
2. hard up; destitute:
- He declined, in a family which was always living close to the bone, to take on any job.
to the backbone—(also: to the bone of one’s back) = to the bone 1:
- Working-class to the backbone, just like us…. And if he’s been filling you up with a lot of toffee to the contrary, more fool you.