1670s, from bee + wax. As a jocular alteration of business (usually in an injunction to someone to mind his own) attested from 1934 in Lower East Side slang as reproduced in Henry Roth's "Call It Sleep."
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition. Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Example sentences
Next, many of the mummies were coated with conifer resin and beeswax.
Honeybee hives have long provided humans with honey and beeswax.
Little wonder politicians tend to mind their own electoral beeswax.
And then there are wildlife products, such as beeswax.
Before doing this, rub olive oil in the hair or run the metal comb through beeswax.
More beeswax and cocoa butter will make a stiffer salve.
In addition, the small but vigorous beekeeping industry produces honey, beeswax and other products for direct consumer use.
Something about me lying there with holding a flaming tube of beeswax coming through a paper plate really tickled her.
Burning pure soy and beeswax candles with cotton wicks helps to clear the air.
Look for crayons made from beeswax and infused with natural dyes.