not someone's circus, not someone's monkeys

English

Etymology

Calque of Polish nie mój cyrk, nie moje małpy.

Phrase

not someone's circus, not someone's monkeys

1. (colloquial) It is not someone's problem; it's none of my business; indicates that one is not responsible for controlling or changing a volatile or delicate situation.
   • 2015, J. J. Johnson, Believarexic‎^[1], Open Road Media, →ISBN:

     I repeated it like a mantra: Not my circus. Not my monkeys. Except it was my circus. Because, as I lay there, I noticed all my things out of place from the room search. This was my circus. I was stuck with these monkeys.

Related terms

• the organ grinder, not the monkey

Translations

first person singular (not my problem)

• German: nicht mein Zirkus, nicht meine Affen
• Polish: nie mój cyrk, nie moje małpy
• Russian: это не мой цирк это не мои обезьяны (eto ne moj cirk eto ne moi obezʹjany)

See also

• different clowns, same circus (likewise a circus metaphor emphasizing human folly)