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Translatorcafe Posted 8 years ago
Grammar

Not for nothing

Hi, I'm translating a book and have come across the saying "not for nothing." This is the context:

"It was clear that he didn't tell her anything about me. And not for nothing, but I was a damn good story."

I'm trying to think what the author meant in "not for nothing."

Thanks

  

Top answer

" It is a colloquial slang expression, fairly new, I believe, having no literary pedigree at all. It therefore means various things, but always something like "by the way" or "incidentally" with the implication that what follows is not meant unkindly. I think it is basically a double negative form of "not for anything", "not to any purpose".

— Anonymous

  • " It is a colloquial slang expression, fairly new, I believe, having no literary pedigree at all.
  • It therefore means various things, but always something like "by the way" or "incidentally" with the implication that what follows is not meant unkindly.
  • I think it is basically a double negative form of "not for anything", "not to any purpose".
  • In your case, either the writer or the fictional speaker has used it unadvisedly to mean maybe "I don't mean to brag".
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2 Answers
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translatorcafeI'm trying to think what the author meant by "not for nothing."

It is a colloquial slang expression, fairly new, I believe, having no literary pedigree at all. It therefore means various things, but always something like "by the way" or "incidentally" with the implication that what follows is not meant unkindly. I think it is basically

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"not for nothing" normally means "for a good reason". For example, "Not for nothing do they call him Mr Nasty". In the context, does there seem to be a good reason why "he didn't tell her anything about me"?

Edit: apparently this "not for nothing, but" may have a different meaning. See:

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