14
This post is aimed at answering questions 2 and 3.
So far, I haven't found any single adjective that seems to have been clearly the first to be used in the metaphorical expression "a(n) [adjective] bone".
When I say "goes back to __" in the following sections, it obviously means "goes back to at least __". There might be earlier examples that I haven't ...
4
When doing a Google n-gram search for "racist bone" I came across a reference to a November 1967 issue of Jet magazine. It references a quote from Louise Day Hicks, a Boston politician and staunch opponent of school desegregation. Mrs Hicks and her supporters "insist there ain't a racist bone in her ample Irish body."
2
I'm not sure how much this qualifies as a complete answer, but here are my current findings:
not a lazy bone in his body - 1826 (paywall link)
The Morning Post (London, England) 07 Aug 1826 4/1
not a racist bone in [sth] - 1966 (paywall link)
The Times (San Mateo, California) 07 Dec 1966 53/4
Not a jealous bone in my body - 1875 (paywall link)
The ...
2
Are these two expressions (mean bone/racist bone) related to an even earlier "[adjective] bone" that was used in a similar way, or is "mean bone" the first of its kind?
This is a partial answer concerning lazy bones.
The OED shows a 1593 use of lazy bones:
1593 G. Harvey Pierces Supererogation 185 Was..legierdemane a
sloweworme, or Viuacitie a ...
1
You're the point person. Merriam-Webster:
: point man sense 2
which is
2 : one who is in the forefront especially : a principal spokesman or advocate
(example) the point man for the President's economic policy
A point person leads an initiative, a task, or something else. That person tends to field inquiries and make decisions about that area ...
1
If you mean something that can not be quantified, I would suggest "intangible", as in "One of the intangibles of my position is job satisfaction".
As I'm new here, I can't post this as a comment.
1
Your usage of 'for' is acceptable as Kate commented. I'm sure the reason you are asking is because it sounds a little clunky. This is what I would do to simplify it.
The umbrella section “socioeconomical understanding” was chosen to mediate the understanding of innovation in X industries. The following subsections are intertwined in their individual ...
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