none of your beeswax

See also: none of your bee's wax and none of your bees' wax

English

Alternative forms

• none of your bee's wax, none of your bees' wax

Etymology

Alteration of none of your business. From the historical use of beeswax to cover up blemishes.

Pronunciation

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Phrase

none of your beeswax

1. A riposte to badgering questioning, expressing a refusal to answer, and an insistence that the questioner cease prying any further.
   • 1950, Beverly Cleary, Henry Huggins, page 21:

     “Whatcha got in that bag?” asked Scooter.
     “None of your beeswax,” answered Henry.

   • 1977, Albert Ramsdell Gurney, Children, page 25:

     BARBARA. That’s for me to know.
     RANDY. Come on. Who?
     BARBARA. None of your beeswax.

   • 1996, Stephen King, The Green Mile, page 74:

     “You can ask, but since it's really none of your beeswax, I think I'll keep my mouth shut on that score.”

   • 2003, Augusten Burroughs, Running With Scissors: A Memoir, page 194:

     “We were just discussing your love life. Or lack thereof.”
     “My love life is none of your beeswax,” she huffed.

Translations

A riposte to badgering questioning

• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 關你鬼事／关你鬼事 (gwaan¹ nei⁵ gwai² si⁶)

  Mandarin: 關你屁事／关你屁事 (guān nǐ pì shì)

• Czech: do toho ti nic není, starej se o sebe
• Finnish: ei kuulu sinulle (it doesn't concern you)
• French: occupe-toi de tes oignons (fr) (mind your own onions), ce ne sont pas tes oignons (this is not your onions)
• German: das geht dich einen feuchten Kehricht an
• Inari Sami: ij kuulâ tunjin (it doesn't concern you)
• Northern Sami: ii leat du ášši (it's not your business)
• Polish: nie twoja sprawa
• Russian: без коммента́риев (bez kommentárijev), вас э́то не каса́ется (vas éto ne kasájetsja)
• Skolt Sami: tõt ij kuul tuʹnne (it doesn't concern you)
• Spanish: eso a ti te importa un bledo

See also

• mind your own beeswax