Have an axe to grind

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George! Come here! I have an axe to grind with you.

English Idiom: Have an axe to grind

If someone has an axe to grind, they have a private and maybe selfish opinion about something.


This opinion is the reason why they take a particular action.

It’s quite similar to having an ulterior motive in some ways.

This idiom is not usually used in a positive sense.

Sometimes, if a person has a problem or issue with another person, they have an axe to grind.

As an example, many people who lose their jobs because their company is downsizing have different opinions with the company.

These former workers may say bad things about the company on social media.

Also, if a student’s teacher gives them a bad grade, they may have an axe to grind with the teacher.

The student may complain to their teacher about the grade.


This post is understandable by someone with at least an 8th-grade education (age 13 – 14).

On the Flesch-Kincaid reading-ease test, this post scores 68.

The easier a passage is to read, the higher the score on a scale of 0 – 100.



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