These areas are close to the bone of national economic policy making.
I wanted to cut things down to the bone for a while.
Down to the bone, if you know what I mean.
Others have been cut to the bone inside, and come back without a mark.
Right to the bone in the middle of the line.
How many friends to the bone did a man make?
For a moment I felt cold down to my bones.
Of what good would these things be to her bones?
The cold wind seemed to cut her to the bone.
It'd be so easy to take you down to the bone.
Idiome