Anyone who has been browsing the meme side of the Internet for a few years now has likely seen “nothing personal, kid” at least once. It is also commonly seen as an intentionally misspelled “nothing personnel, kid.”
But what does this phrase actually mean? This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression.
Meaning
“Nothing personal, kid” is a rough equivalent to “don’t get offended” or “don’t take this too seriously.” The phrase is commonly associated with photos of young men with some kind of bladed weapon (such as a sword or knife) “teleporting” behind someone else, with the intention of attaching them.
It is implied the man would say “nothing personal, kid” before stabbing the person in front of them.
This is the main and really the only meaning behind this phrase. It is used to refer to someone who thinks they look cool, but they really do not. The misspelling of “nothing personnel, kid” has been used to mock people who do not understand the meaning of this meme. If someone asks what “nothing personal, kid” means on a site like Reddit (where most people seemingly know what it means), another user may respond with something like, “Are you new here? It’s nothing personnel, kid.” More information can be found in the video (here).
Example Usage
“Hey, it’s nothing personal kid, but it’s about time for you to get yeeted”.
“I didn’t want to do this, but… nothing personal, kid.”
“Do you like my sword? Nothing personal, kid.”
“I don’t want to have to kill you… nothing personal, kid.”
“You clearly don’t know what you’re doing. Nothing personnel, kid.”
Origin
The method of teleporting behind someone to kill them. The phrase is commonly associated with) is seen in many different anime series, including Bleach and Dragon Ball Z. The idea of teleporting behind someone with a bladed weapon. This is the most common image typically shown with this phrase and is primarily from Bleach, which is an anime that aired from 2004 to 2012.
The phrase “nothing personal, kid” originated from another meme, titled Coldsteel the Hedgehog, which was first seen on Twitter in 2013. In the following years, the phrase became more common on various other social media sites, being liked and upvoted thousands of times on Reddit and 9GAG. In October of 2016, a YouTuber named Colin Harding quickly rose to fame by making a parody video wielding a knife based on the phrase. The phrase has continued to be used across social media still to this day.
Phrases Similar to Nothing Personal, Kid
- Turn 360 degrees and go away.
- Don’t take it to heart.
- Don’t get offended.
- Don’t take it the wrong way.
- It’s not you.
- No, I am behind you.
Phrases Opposite to Nothing Personal, Kid
- It’s personal.
- Be offended.
- Offence intended.
What is the Correct Saying?
- “Nothing personal, kid” is the correct saying.
Ways People May Incorrectly Say Nothing Personal, Kid
The phrase is used in meme culture to refer to someone who thinks they look cool but actually do not. It is typically paired with “teleports behind you”, in which it is implied the person teleports behind someone else, says “nothing personal, kid”, and stabs them. Using the phrase for anything other than this would be incorrect. Some ways that “nothing personal, kid” is used incorrectly are:
- Here’s a cake I baked for you! Nothing personal, kid.
- Nothing personal, kid. I had a lot of fun tonight!
- I really want to see you again. Nothing personal, kid.
- I really appreciate you walking me home. Nothing personal, kid.
Acceptable Ways to Phrase Nothing Personal, Kid
- I’m sorry to do this, but… nothing personal, kid.
- This is as hard for me as it is for you. Nothing personal, kid.
- Killing you won’t be fun. Nothing personal, kid.
- It shouldn’t have to be this way. Nothing personal, kid.