Bone throwing

In business, bone throwing is an altruistic act or introduction for the benefit of a friend, colleague, or contact. The act or introduction requires some follow-up on the part of the recipient. Generally, but not necessarily, done on a pay it forward basis.

Concept

Throwing bones to dogs is an ancient human custom.[1][2] Dogs derive calcium from bones and the act of catching and retrieving bones brings pleasure to them.[3][4] Throwing the bone gives the dog the ability to obtain and enjoy it, but requires it to take a step or more to get to it.

History

The exact origin of the term is unknown. Although an urban legend holds that a Microsoft employee coined the phrase to explain his altruistic introduction of a colleague to a friend, there are previous historical references.

The earliest recorded use of the idiom is: 1875, Anthony Trollope, The Way We Live Now, ch. 22:

"There was considerable uneasiness in the bosoms of others of the Directors. . . . [T]hey knew that Lord Alfred had sold shares, and had received the profit. . . . And if there was so much cause to fear Lord Alfred that it was necessary to throw him a bone, why should not they also make themselves feared?"


Notes

  1. ↑ William D. Desmond (2008). Cynics. University of California Press. pp. 88–. ISBN 978-0-520-25835-8.
  2. ↑ Virginia DeJohn Anderson (15 November 2004). Creatures of Empire: How Domestic Animals Transformed Early America. Oxford University Press. pp. 31–. ISBN 978-0-19-983972-8.
  3. ↑ Carina MacDonald; Elizabeth Marion Bunting (2009). Dog Care and Training: A Complete Illustrated Guide to Adopting, House-Breaking and Raising a Hea. Globe Pequot. pp. 174–. ISBN 978-1-59921-827-4.
  4. ↑ Robert L. DuPont (21 August 2013). The Selfish Brain: Learning from Addiction. Hazelden. pp. 105–. ISBN 978-1-59285-953-5.

External links

Look up throw a bone to in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.


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