Etymology Journal · W
What's that got to do with the price of tea in China?
Meaning
- A colorful way to point out that someone is speaking nonsense or bringing up irrelevant details. It dismisses a non-sequitur by highlighting how far afield the logic has wandered.
Sassy, dismissive
Used in a sentence
- I was complaining about my car payment and he started talking about the lunar cycle, so I asked, what's that got to do with the price of tea in China?
- During the budget meeting, Brenda started describing her cat's diet, and the CEO asked, what's that got to do with the price of tea in China?
- He went off on a tangent about lawn care when we were discussing dinner plans, leading me to ask, what's that got to do with the price of tea in China?
The backstory
The exact origin is murky, but it appeared in American newspapers in the early 20th century. It likely plays on the idea that the price of tea in China has zero impact on local daily life.
Heard in
Nationwide
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