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Definition 2024

(rhetorical question, colloquial, sarcastic) A comment used to indicate that a previous comment is irrelevant or unimportant.
- 1972, American School Counselor Association, The School counselor, volume 20, page 7:
  My reaction is "What does this have to do with the price of tea in China?"
- 2000, United States Senate, Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, Agricultural trade options: hearing before the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, ISBN 0160600804,9780160600807, page 103:
  "To quote the old saying, what does that have to do with the price of tea in China...? Talk about totally irrelevant."

a comment used to indicate that a previous comment is irrelevant or unimportant

Chinese:
Mandarin: 八竿子打不著, 八竿子打不着 ‎(bā gānzi dǎ bù zháo), 風馬牛不相及 (zh), 风马牛不相及 (zh) ‎(fēng mǎ niú bù xiāng jí), 驢唇不對馬嘴 (zh), 驴唇不对马嘴 (zh) ‎(lǘchún bùduì mǎzuǐ)
French: quel rapport avec la choucroute, aucun rapport avec la choucroute (fr)
Hebrew: מה ענין שמיטה אצל הר סיני

Persian: چه ربطی داشت به ٢٢ بهمن؟ ‎(če rabti dâšt be 22-(e) Bahman?), چه ربطی داشت به دهه فجر؟ ‎(če rabti dâšt be Dahe-(ye) Fajr?)
Polish: co ma piernik do wiatraka (pl)
Russian: в огоро́де — бузина́, а в Ки́еве — дя́дька ‎(v ogoróde — buziná, a v Kíjeve — djádʹka) ((There's) elderberry in the vegetable garden but an uncle in Kiev)