Mind your own business

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"Mind your own business" is a common derogatory English saying which asks for a respect of other people's privacy. It strongly suggests that a person should stop interfering in what does not affect themselves. Contextually, it is often used in an argument or dispute as a remark to refute, reject, disregard, or discourage others' concerns or comments. Its acronym is MYOB.

Origin[edit]

The Greek phrase πράσσειν τὰ ἴδια, appearing in St. Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians, is usually translated as "mind your own business".[1][2]

The first coin that was minted and officially circulated by the United States, the Fugio Cent, displays the words “Mind Your Business” on the obverse. [3]

20th century[edit]

In the 1930s, a slang version rendered the saying as "Mind your own beeswax". It is meant to soften the force of the retort.[4] Folk etymology has it that this idiom was used in the colonial period when women would sit by the fireplace making wax candles together,[5] though there are many other theories.[6]

In the classic science fiction story "...And Then There Were None", author Eric Frank Russell shortened "Mind your own business" to "MYOB" or "Myob!", which was used as a form of civil disobedience on the planet of the libertarian Gands.[7] Russell's short story was subsequently incorporated into his 1962 novel The Great Explosion.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Bible Gateway passage: 1 Thessalonians 4:11 - New King James Version". Bible Gateway. Retrieved 2022-09-01.
  2. ^ "1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 NIV". biblegateway.com. Retrieved 2012-03-26.
  3. ^ "Fugio Cents - PCGS CoinFacts". PCGS. Retrieved 2023-04-29.
  4. ^ Palmatier, Robert Allen (1995). Speaking of Animals: A Dictionary of Animal Metaphors. Greenwood Press. pp. Google Books Search, p.23. ISBN 0-313-29490-9.
  5. ^ "mind your own beeswax". Theidioms.com. 2006-01-16.
  6. ^ "World Wide Words: Mind your beeswax". World Wide Words.
  7. ^ "'And Then There Were None' by Eric Frank Russell". www.abelard.org.

External links[edit]

  • Theidioms.com, Origins of common sayings – Mind Your Own Beeswax
  • Abelard.org, And Then There Were None (relevant excerpt of The Great Explosion)