The Archive

Etymology Journal ยท N

No skin off my back

Meaning

This means that a situation or decision does not bother you or affect you personally in any way. It expresses a sense of indifference or detachment.

Dismissive, casual

Used in a sentence

  • If you want to wear that neon suit to the wedding, go right ahead, it is no skin off my back.
  • You can skip the staff meeting if you really want to, it is no skin off my back.
  • Mom said if I wanted to sell my old bike for five dollars it was no skin off my back.

The backstory

This is a variant of the more common no skin off my nose or no skin off my teeth. It implies that nothing is being taken from your own hide or person.

Heard in

Nationwide

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