Never mind

Meaning

The idiom "never mind" is used to dismiss or ignore something that has just been said, usually because it is not relevant or important. It can also be used as a way of saying that the speaker will not respond to a question or comment because they do not want to engage in conversation on the topic.

Usage

• "Never mind, I'll just find someone else who can help me with this." (used when someone is unable to assist the speaker)
• "I don't have time for this, never mind." ( used when something is not urgent or important)
• "You can ask someone else, I don't know the answer." ( used when the speaker does not know the answer)
• "Don't worry about it, never mind." (used to dismiss a concern or problem)
• "I'm sorry, I can't talk about that right now, never mind." ( used to avoid engaging in conversation on a sensitive topic)

Roots and History

The earliest known use of the idiom "never mind" dates back to the 17th century. It was originally used in a poem by William Wordsworth titled "I wandered lonely as a cloud," where he wrote: "Never mind for us! the place is too dear." The phrase became popular and was later adopted as an idiom meaning to dismiss something. Over time, its usage has expanded to include a variety of situations where the speaker wants to ignore or avoid something that has been said.

Synonyms in English

• "No problem"
• "Not worth it"
• "Let's move on"
• "We can drop it"
• "It's nothing"

Synonyms in other languages

• French: "Je ne souhaite pas discuter de cela" (I don't want to discuss it)
• German: "Es ist nicht wichtig" (It's not important)
• Spanish: "No es relevante" (It's not relevant)
• Italian: "Non ho il tempo per questo" (I don't have time for this)
• Russian: "Не важно" (It's not important)

Similar Idioms

• nowhere near

• screw up

• chop and change