Etymology

san fairy ann

san fai·ry ann

Today it means: It doesn't matter. Full definition →

First used early 20th c.French ça ne fait rien
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The story

  1. French · borrowed fromça ne fait rien“it doesn’t matter”
  2. English todaysan fairy ann

A homophonic translation of French ça ne fait rien (“it doesn’t matter”), probably originating among British and ANZAC army soldiers during World War I (1914–1918).

First known use, by meaning

  • from early 20th c. It doesn't matter.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.