What it means
Means properly lazy to the core, not just having an off day. If someone's bone idle, they won't lift a finger, dodge every chore going, and act like getting off the sofa counts as manual labour. It's a classic British put-down, usually said with a bit of bite and a bit of comedy.
Usage examples
"Mum told him to put the bins out, and he acted like it was Everest. Absolute bone idle, sprawled in front of the telly with a cuppa."
"He's bone idle, leaves his plate on the sofa and shouts for someone to bring him the remote that's by his foot."
"The new lad's bone idle, vanishes the second there's a box to lift and reappears when the kettle's on."
"You can't ask Dean to help you move house, he's bone idle. Bloke watched us carry boxes while he guarded the biscuits."
"My sister's gone fully bone idle this weekend, still in her dressing gown at two and acting shocked that the washing hasn't done itself."
Where it comes from
Bone idle is a British English phrase recorded from the late 19th century. Here bone works as an intensifier, meaning right down to your bones or your very core, and idle means lazy or work-shy. Put together, it paints someone as lazy through and through, not just lounging for five minutes.
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