not my circus, not my monkeys

This is a dismissive phrase roughly equivalent to ‘not my problem’.  The speaker says that the situation, whatever it is, is not their responsibility.  It is particularly used with the idea that the speaker doesn’t want to be dragged into someone else’s drama.  There is a Polish proverb translated as ‘not my circus, not my monkeys’ which is offered as the origin for this expression. The rural expression of the same idea is ‘not my cows, not my horses’. There are probably variations on the theme to suit the context. In recent years it has become an internet meme with people reworking the idea in various ways.  ‘Not my circus, not my monkeys, but I definitely know the clowns’, was one offering.  So from Poland to the English-speaking world in an internet flash.