It’s not really my thing

IT’S NOT REALLY MY THING

How to say you don’t like something

By Kate Woodford

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A blog from

Cambridge Dictionary

Aug. 28, 2024

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Today, I’m looking at ways of saying that we don’t like a particular thing or person. This might sound like a rather negative subject for a post, but it is a useful one, I’m sure you will agree!
Starting with the phrase ‘don’t like’ itself, note that we often ‘soften’ it (make it sound more polite or acceptable) by adding words such as ‘really’ or ‘especially’:

• I didn’t really like the food there.
• I don’t especially like that style of painting.

You might already know the verb dislike, which is a slightly formal way of saying ‘not like’:

• There aren’t many vegetables that I actively dislike.
• She’d worked with him and disliked him intensely.

Other verbs in this area are more emphatic, meaning ‘to dislike very much or hate’, for example detest, loathe, and despise. (‘Despise’ has the additional meaning of ‘feel no respect for’.)

• He detested privilege in all its forms.
• She was intensely shy and loathed publicity.
• He’s despised on the right of the party.

Two equally emphatic phrases used for saying we hate something or someone are can’t stand and the slightly more formal can’t abide:

• I can’t stand noisy bars.
• I can’t abide people who are rude to restaurant servers.

The previous five verbs and phrases convey very strong feelings, but we often use gentle ways of saying that we don’t like something or someone, involving negative phrases such as ‘not keen on’, ‘not crazy about’, or ‘not a fan of’ something or someone:

• He’s never been very keen on dogs.
• I’m not crazy about jazz, to be honest.
• I’m not really a fan of goat’s cheese.

More strongly, you can also say that you are averse to something, or that you have an aversion to it:

• Despite her success, she remains averse to publicity and rarely gives interviews.
• He has an aversion to flying.

As you might imagine, there are some nice idioms in this area, two of which include the noun ‘thing’. If something isn’t your thing, it is something that you don’t enjoy. If you have (got) a thing about someone or something, you dislike them. (Confusingly, ‘have a thing about’ can also mean ‘like something very much’!)

• Hannah’s friends like to go clubbing and stay out late, but it isn’t really her thing.
• He has a thing about eggs – he absolutely hates them.

If there is no/little love lost between two people, they dislike each other:

• It was clear that there was no love lost between the two brothers.
• There is little love lost between the teams.

I’ll finish with a nice, memorable idiom in this area. If something isn’t your cup of tea, it is not the type of thing that you like:

• I know a lot of people who like her music, but it’s not really my cup of tea.

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Adapted from: https://dictionaryblog.cambridge.org/2024/08/28/its-not-really-my-thing-how-to-say-you-dont-like-something/. Accessed on October 10, 2024. © Cambridge University Press & Assessment 2024. All rights reserved.