not my monkeys
colloquial phrase

- used to show that a problem or situation is not the speaker’s responsibility or concern

- a way of saying that what’s happening is not your drama to manage

- It's none of my business; indicates that one is not responsible for controlling or changing a volatile or delicate situation

Cambridge Dictionary, Wiktionary, Your Dictionary

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PHRASE ORIGIN


The saying is widely considered to be a Polish proverb or expression: Nie mój cyrk, nie moje małpy (literal Translation: “Not my circus, not my monkeys”)


It is used to express that a chaotic, problematic, or messy situation is not one's responsibility and one chooses to remain detached from it—in essence, "It's none of my business" or "Not my problem."


The phrase uses the vivid imagery of a circus, where the ringmaster (the person in charge) is responsible for the monkeys (the source of the chaos/drama).

By saying it's not your circus, you are declaring you are not the person responsible for managing the problems (the monkeys).



The English version gained popularity through online forums and general use, likely starting in the early 2000s, as a catchy and humorous way to set personal boundaries.


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COMMON MONKEY PHRASES

- Monkey business = dishonest, silly, or suspicious behaviour (“Stop the monkey business and tell me what really happened.”)

- Monkey on your back = a heavy burden or ongoing problem you can’t shake off (“His gambling debt was a monkey on his back for years.”)

- More fun than a barrel of monkeys = extremely entertaining (“The reunion wasn’t fancy, but it was more fun than a barrel of monkeys.”)

- Monkey see, monkey do = copying behaviour without thinking (“Kids repeat everything—monkey see, monkey do.”)

- Well I’ll be a monkey’s uncle = expressing surprise or disbelief (“You finished the report early? Well I’ll be a monkey’s uncle!”)

- Make a monkey out of someone = to embarrass or make someone look foolish (“The journalist’s questions made a monkey out of the minister.”)

- Throw a monkey wrench into something = to cause an unexpected problem (“The supplier’s delay threw a monkey wrench into our schedule.”)

- Get the monkey off your back = to solve or escape a persistent problem (“Once she finished the tax paperwork, she finally got the monkey off her back.”)

- Not my circus, not my monkeys = not my responsibility; I’m not getting involved (“They’re fighting again? Not my circus, not my monkeys.”)

- Monkey around = waste time or behave in a silly, unproductive way (“Stop monkeying around and help me clean the kitchen.”)

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SYNONYMS

- “I’ll let them handle it."

- "Let them figure it out."

- "That's not my problem." 

- "I'm going to stand clear.”

- “It's none of my business."

- "That ship has sailed for me."

- "That's above my pay grade."

- "I'm not getting involved in that."

-  "I don't have a horse in that race."

- "That's outside my scope of responsibility."

- "I'm keeping a safe distance from that drama."

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SMUGGLE
 OWAD into a conversation today, say something like:

“When office politics heat up, it’s healthy to remember the phrase, ‘NOT MY MONKEYS’. “

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P L E A S E   S U P P O R T   O W A D