Not my circus, not my monkeys

Meaning

A way to say a situation is not your responsibility.

Usage

Used to politely decline involvement in someone else's quarrel or chaos.

Origin & History

Origins and dates here are approximate summaries. Many idioms have disputed or unknown origins, and not every date has been checked against a historical dictionary, so treat specific dates and stories as a starting point rather than a citation.

A translation of the Polish phrase Nie moj cyrk, nie moje malpy that reached English speakers in the early 2000s.

English speakers embraced the phrasing on social media and among expats in the early twenty first century.