throw a bone

企業がツイッター買収に踏み切れないわけに関する記事で，筆者の意見を交えて書かれています。

Why doesn’t anyone want to buy Twitter?

I, like, many Twitter users, watched with interest as the social network's shares fell off a cliff last week when Salesforce — believed to be Twitter’s most enthusiastic suitor in its latest round of bids — said the social site was “not the right fit” for the firm.

Now that Twitter has thrown a bone to those clamoring for a sale, it may be able to focus more closely on its central problem: turning enthusiasm for live events and for its general product into consistent growth and profit. But it will have to act quickly. The hype after Dorsey’s return raised the stakes that much higher, and failing to effect a turnaround can have drastic consequences.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/10/18/why-doesnt-anyone-want-to-buy-twitter/

今回取り上げる表現は，“throw a bone”です。そのまま直訳すると，「骨を投げる」ですが，どのような意味になるのでしょうか。そこで，『ジーニアス英和辞典』（大修館書店）を引いてみると，“throw O a bone”で「〈人〉に多少の援助を行う」とありましたが，これではありません。

ほかの意味を調べてみたところ，Merriam-Websterには，“to offer (someone) something that is not very important or valuable especially to stop complaints or protests”と定義されていました。ここでは，「ツイッターは，企業に対し身売りをしている」となるのではないでしょうか。(Nao)