throw a bone to

An allusion to the act of throwing a bone as food to a hungry dog.

• "There was considerable uneasiness in the bosoms of others of the Directors. […] [T]hey knew that Lord Alfred had sold shares, and had received the profit. […] And if there was so much cause to fear Lord Alfred that it was necessary to throw him a bone, why should not they also make themselves feared?"
• "The union […] "regretted that the President thought it necessary to throw a bone to the anti-labor bloc" by saying the act would prevent strikes."
• "Throwing a bone to the banks, it will allow a 4% increase in overseas loans next year."
• "The Dallas Cowboys yesterday gave a starting job to Alexander Wright, in effect throwing him a bone."
• "Can you remind me what I pay you people for? Honestly, throw me a bone here. What do we have?"
• "And he did it on the day the Senate threw a bone to President Bush's evangelical base by voting on a Constitutional amendment declaring that only a union of a man and a woman constitutes marriage."

• toss a bone to
• throw someone a bone