Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (US) business; usu. as none of your beeswax, mind your own beeswax.

[1913		T.A. Dorgan Silk Hat Harry’s Divorce Suit 30 Apr. [synd. cartoon strip] ‘What is it?’ ‘It’s none of your stomach ache. I don’t want you’].
1929		M.H. McNeely Jumping-off Place 31: ‘Where'd you get it?’ ‘None of your beeswax’.
1934		H. Roth Call It Sleep (1977) 310: Shoddop! Piss-in-bed! Mind yuh own beeswax!
1935		S. Kingsley Dead End Act III: angel: What faw? spit: None a yuh beeswax!
1941		F. Swados House of Fury (1959) 26: None a your beeswax.
1960, 1975		Wentworth & Flexner DAS.
1973		J. Yount Trapper’s Last Shot (1974) 53: Ain’t none a his beeswax.
1981		(con. 1966) P. Conroy Lords of Discipline 229: It’s no one’s personal beeswax except my own.
1982		H. Beaton Outside In I ii: kate: You got some? ma: None of your beeswax.
1992		N. Stephenson Snow Crash (1993) 158: Y.T. wants to ask him how he went from the ultimate rebellion to running the family beeswax.
1993		A. Rodriguez Spidertown (1994) 157: ‘So what bank?’ Firebug asked. Miguel looked at him. ‘Mine’ja fucken bees wax.’.
1998		(con. 1986) G. Pelecanos Sweet Forever 21: ‘Any beeswax? [...] The business,’ said Karras. ‘We doin’ any?’.
1999		J. Stahl Perv (2001) 242: It’s none of your beeswax.
2000		F. Kellerman Stalker (2001) 52: So you’re doing beeswax. Should I reserve the corner booth?
2001		Guardian 26 May 🌐 What are your non-acting pastimes? Um, none of your beeswax!
2002		D.H. Sterry Chicken (2003) 135: Obviously I don’t want Daddy in my beeswax.
2002		Observer Mag. 18 Aug. 7: Mind your own beeswax, I’ve got a baby to bring up.
2007		S. Maloney Sucked In 231: ‘Sorry, mate. Thought it was my ex.’ ‘Which one?’ [...] ‘Mind your own beeswax,’ he said.
2007		L. Redhead Cherry Pie [ebook] ‘What about the hotel?’ ‘None of your beeswax’.
2015		S. King Finders Keepers (2016) 93: ’None of your beeswax,’ he had replied.
2018		G. Gilmore Base Nature [ebook] ‘Mind your own beeswax. I’m not telling you’.
2021		M. Hyde on Twitter 18 June 🌐 Having said all that I am a purveyor of whimsy, not journalism, so perhaps matters touched on in this thread are none of my beeswax either.

2. flattery, smooth talk.

2000

M. Collins Keepers of Truth 269: He said I was a ‘swell’ reporter. I said ‘I don ’t need any of your beeswax.’ I could give it as good as I got it.