price of tea in China
Something that is relevant or important, usually used to emphasize that another, compared thing is irrelevant, unimportant, or non sequitur, or that someone unaware of it is ignorant, etc.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“That fact has nothing to do with the price of tea in China.”
“His excuse for being late matters as much as the price of tea in China.”
“I do not care about your favorite color, as it has nothing to do with the price of tea in China.”
“Your opinion on the office decor is about as important as the price of tea in China when we are facing a major budget deficit.”
“The politician rambled about his childhood, which had absolutely nothing to do with the price of tea in China regarding the current economic crisis.”
The term finds its origins in England during the 19th century, when the cost of tea in China was a subject of genuine economic and administrative concern. The phrase was frequently recorded in the proceedings of the House of Commons, where the commodity's valuation served as a recurring topic of debate before the expression shifted into its current role as a marker of irrelevance.
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all the tea in China
Something very valuable or priceless.
- 02
bull in a china shop
A person who is clumsy, aggressive, without care, concern or self-control.
- 03
China syndrome
A hypothetical kind of catastrophic failure in which a nuclear reactor melts through the floor of its containment system and (if on land) penetrates the Earth's surface, continuing downward as if (from a Western Hemispheric point of view) traveling through the planet toward China.
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clock the tea
To discover the truth about something.
- 05
cup of tea
An activity or domain in which someone is interested or skilled in; one's personal preference.
- 06
every man has a price
Everyone can be bribed or corrupted for a certain price.
- 07
made in China
Cheaply manufactured; of poor or low quality, (especially) if made in East Asia.
- 08
Nixon in China
Suggesting the ability of a politician with an unassailable reputation among his or her supporters for representing and defending their values to take actions that would draw their criticism and even opposition if taken by someone without those credentials.
Last updated August 10, 2026