beef (complaint)

Where did such phrases as "to have a beef with someone" or "what's your beef?" ever arise?

This one remains a minor etymological mystery. Beef, meaning "a complaint," can be traced back to the original slang to cut a beef, likewise denoting the act of complaining. But our knowledge of the term ends there.

It has been suggested that the beef in question alludes to the "bone of contention" from which it was cut.

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