When did "no worries" replace "no problem"?

A friend told that it’s a common expression in the Carribean, and found it’s way here through tourism. Now it’s just a silly affection, much like Americans saying “cheers” instead of “thanks” like Brits do.

I did a little research on my own. Apparently, “no worries” is a long standing common Australian expression, the equivalent of “no problem” in the states. I’m wondering if there’s a song lyric that propagated the expression. I’m always tempted to counter-reply “What, me worry?”

I find both phrases to be somewhat rude.

It seems to me it implies I’ve put someone out by asking for something, and they’re assuring me it’s not TOO much trouble!

It’s mildly irritating, like “Have a good one.” Are you really too lazy to say “Have a good day?” Or perhaps you aren’t sufficiently pleased with me to wish me a whole good day, but rather a good moment or two. What do you really mean by “Have a good one?” Have a good what? Vasectomy? Divorce? High colonic?

“No worries” is a common idiom here in New Zealand as well. I’d known since the days of Crocodile Dundee that it was a common phrase in Oz, but the annoying thing was when it started thrown around a few years later in the “hip hippy” set in the States as well. The annoying bit wasn’t so much the phrase as the way they would say it. I have a similar beef with the resurgence of “right on” around the same time. Now that I live “down under” I don’t give it a second thought.

“No worries” as segdeha states…is soooo common in NZ and Aus…that people don’t give it a second thought. I find that most of my sentences involve a “no worries” as it is used so frequently here. (”,)

“no worries” replaced “thank you” and “no problem” when people started smoking pot and in an error someone said it and someone else thought it was the cool, new thing to say..now everyone says it.

Exactly. It came from Oz originally, but I’ve been hearing “no worries” more and more in the U.S. now, and wondered when it replaced “no problem. I much prefer “no problem”, because the new expression makes me feel “old” and out of place now :)

I believe this started when the song, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” became popular. After that, the Australians picked it up and “no worries” was born.