"Not for nothing..." new meaning?

[positive pcr]

I have lately observed the expression "not for nothing" used at the
beginning of a personal observation to mean something on the order of: "I
really don't want to say this but I feel I need to", as in:

"Not for nothing, but I think you've been wound a little tight lately."
Paulie "Walnuts" to Tony Soprano (Season 3, Episode 13, 20 May 2001).

And some Googled examples:

"Not for nothing, but look who's calling someone a pig." (4 Sept 2002)

"Not for nothing, but you D.C. motherf***ers couldn't keep a secret if
someone had a gun to your heads." (New York City, 15 March 2002)

"Not-For-Nothing But...If at anytime you don’t like what your reading, then
close your eyes!" (Dudley, Massachusetts, 29 April 2002)

Has anyone observed this new (to me) usage outside of the northeast? And any
earlier observances of it? I hear it more and more frequently in speech
originating around New York City, and have only started noticing it in
print, but it's one of those things that--now I am aware of it--pops up
everywhere.

thanks,
Graham (positive_pcr at hotmail.com)




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