Is the saying "mind your beeswax" referring to minding your own business an American folklore saying?

serpa

There are a lot of theories trying to explain where the cliche “mind your beeswax” came from. The more noted theory took place during the 18th century. During this time small pox was a very common and disfiguring disease. The ladies would fill the pockmarks on their face with beeswax, which would melt if they sat too close to the fire. If a lady was warned about her beeswax she would retort “mind your own beeswax!”. The phrase idea of minding ones own business went as far back as the 1600’s. The intention of the phrase “mind your own beeswax” was to convey the same meaning as mind your own business, but soften the blow. This particular usage of the slang of “mind your own beeswax” came about around the 1930’s. http://candlemarketingsweeti.com/blog/2009/11/fun-fact-friday-mind-your-own-beeswax/ There is an absurd story, much repeated on the internet, that 18th-century ladies used to fill in the pockmarks on their faces (this was when smallpox was a common and disfiguring disease)with beeswax, which would melt if the lady sat too near the fire. If someone else warned her about this, she would retort "mind your OWN beeswax!" I mention this story only to say that there isn't a shred of truth in it. Though beeswax was often (and still is) a component of cosmetics of all kinds, it was not used as a pockmark filler in this way. And, as Smokey correctly says, the saying is of 1920s origin, a childish garbling of "mind your own business". http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/42/messages/1150.html Sep 10 10, 8:54 AM