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etymology - Is “No offense meant (taken)” well-accepted English expression?


I’ve seen the phrase “No offense taken” in the answers to the comments in EL&U site. None of online Cambridge, Oxford and Merriam-Webster dictionary registers this usage, nor does Google Ngram.


However, I was able to find the definitions of both “No offense taken / meant” as “I am not offended [by what you said] / I did not mean to offend you,” in idioms.thefreedictionary.com and www.urbandictionary.com


Since what time around did these expressions come into currency? Are they a polite way of excusing? Can I use “No offense meant (taken)” in both colloquial conversation and formal meeting, for instance with the client advertiser in opposing their idea?



Answer



The OED’s earliest citation for no offence is from Shakespeare’s ‘Antony and Cleopatra’, where it appears as Take no offence. On its own it is first recorded in Henry Fielding’s ‘Tom Jones’, in 1749: No offence, I hope. The OED describes it as ‘colloquial’, so you will need to judge carefully when it is appropriate, whether with the sense 'no offence meant' or 'no offence taken'. If you have any doubt, it would be wise to use some other expression instead.


For an inappropriate use, see here.


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