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    Have an axe to grind
    • have a private reason for doing or being involved in something

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  3. have an axe to grind. idiom. Add to word list. Add to word list. to have a strong personal opinion about something that you want people to accept and that is the reason why you do something: Environmentalists have no political axe to grind - they just want to save the planet. SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases.

  4. | Idiom. To have an axe to grind means you have a personal agenda or a grievance, often rooted in deep-seated emotions or experiences. This idiom originally started with the literal grinding of axes but has since evolved over time to symbolize holding onto a strong opinion or vendetta.

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  5. The term "an axe to grind" means a grievance against someone. It usually appears as "to have an axe to grind." In other words, "to have an axe to grind" means to have a reason to act against someone due to a historical dispute. Examples of Use:

  6. Nov 23, 2016 · Of American-English origin, the expression to have an axe to grind (American-English spelling ax) means to have a private reason for doing, or being involved in, something. It has often been attributed to Benjamin Franklin [ note 1 ].

  7. 4 days ago · HAVE AN AXE TO GRIND definition: to have particular attitudes and prejudices about something, often for selfish reasons | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples.

  8. -a personal agenda or ulterior motive. ·. Origin of the phrase: This idiom’s origin is commonly attributed to an anecdote found in Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography. Published in 1791, he tells a story of a man who had an ax to grind. The tale. asked a smith to grind his ax so that the whole of its surface would be as “bright as the edge.”

  9. 1. To have a complaint or dispute that one feels compelled to discuss. I think the boss has a bit of an axe to grind with you over the way the account was handled. 2. To have a personal motivation or selfish reason for saying or doing something.

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