nothing personal
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Puzzle #235 · January 22, 2026
“Nothing Personal” refers both to a famous 1964 book by writer James Baldwin that critiqued American society, and to a common phrase meaning an action is driven by necessity or impersonal reasons, not malice, though often used to justify hurtful acts.
The book used stark portraits and text to expose societal issues like racism and loneliness, challenging the “American Dream,”
The phrase has become a euphemism for “it's just business” or “I don't care about the consequences to you,” famously depicted in The Godfather - “It's not personal, Sonny. It's strictly business!”
The book used stark portraits and text to expose societal issues like racism and loneliness, challenging the “American Dream,”
The phrase has become a euphemism for “it's just business” or “I don't care about the consequences to you,” famously depicted in The Godfather - “It's not personal, Sonny. It's strictly business!”
Puzzle Appearances
The expression nothing personal has appeared in 1 puzzle:
- Puzzle #235 on January 22, 2026
Rate of Appearance in English Language Print
Google's Ngram project shows how often a pair of words has appeared in print every year since the 1800's.
Data from Google Books Ngram Viewer. Licensed under CC BY 3.0.
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