breed in the bone
Verb

breed in the bone

  1. (idiomatic, of a habit, personal characteristic, etc.) To establish or ingrain firmly within someone's nature.
    • 1985 Dec. 8, "Books: Robertson Davies returns to a familiar, fulfilling venue," Chicago Tribune, p. I33 (retrieved 12 July 2011):
      Davies meticulously establishes the background, the breeding in the bone, of his hero's life.
    • 1998 May 29, Chris Darke, "Film: Famiglia feelings ↗," The Independent (UK) (retrieved 12 July 2011):
      The distinctiveness of Bellocchio's approach lay in his taking mental affliction, in this case epilepsy, and figuring it as symbolic of the self-immolating rage and frustration that the dysfunctional family breeds in the bone.
    • 2008 Aug. 13, James Graff, "[http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1832294_1832295_1838692,00.html Russia: In Search Of Unity]," Time:
      One principle ought to be bred in the bone of any European after the carnage of the 20th century: that no act of state bears such ominous consequences as changing a border by force.



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