not us
The other group
Not us is a phrase disclaiming membership or responsibility.
It distances the speaker's group from an action, identity, or blame: When the boss asked who broke the copier, everyone said "not us".
The phrase can also mark tribal boundaries—defining who belongs by emphasizing who doesn't: Those people? Not us.
- themThird-person plural object
- theyNot we, but
- othersDifferent people, things
- outsidersThose not belonging
- strangersPeople unknown to you
foreigners · foreign bodies · aliens · the other side · enemy · rival · opposition · different · separate · excluded · apart · distant · tribe · boundary · wall · divide · behind enemy lines · foreign