"Not to worry" — unknown grammar category?


The phrase "not to worry" feels more like German grammar than English.


What category of grammar is this, and are there any comparable examples?



Answer



Although John M. Landsberg makes a good point that "not to worry" originated as a fragment, it is no longer one, and is now an idiom meaning "never mind."


For this reason, it is entirely acceptable (and grammatical, since idioms are not required to adhere to other standard grammar rules) to use it on its own.



Oh no! It's started to rain! Oh well. Not to worry. I'll just have to make a dash for it.



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