Etymology Journal ยท N
No skin off my nose
Meaning
- Used to say that you are not harmed or inconvenienced by someone else's actions. It is a way of signaling that you are washing your hands of a situation.
Indifferent, relaxed
Used in a sentence
- They decided to cancel the picnic, which is no skin off my nose since I am busy anyway.
- If they want to change the paint color in the hallway, it is no skin off my nose.
- I do not mind if you borrow my car, it is no skin off my nose as long as you return it with gas.
The backstory
This is likely a variation of no skin off my teeth which dates back to the early 20th century. The exact anatomical origin is unclear, but the imagery of losing skin suggests a physical toll that is avoided.
Heard in
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