Etymology Journal · N
No harm, no foul
Meaning
- This is used to dismiss a mistake when no one was actually hurt or damaged by the outcome. It implies that because the result was fine, the process does not matter.
Forgiving, casual
Used in a sentence
- I accidentally sent the email to the wrong person, but they deleted it, so no harm, no foul.
- You broke my favorite pen, but I have three more, so no harm, no foul.
- I forgot the meeting, but nothing happened while I was gone, so no harm, no foul.
The backstory
This is a term derived from basketball rules, where a referee might call a foul, but if no player was harmed or disadvantaged, they may choose not to enforce a penalty. It has since moved into general conversation.
Heard in
Nationwide
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