my bad

Definition

My fault; mea culpa.

Etymology

Pick-up basketball slang popularized (but not first coined) by Manute Bol, a basketball player of Sudanese origin playing with the Golden State Warriors, and subsequently adopted by teammates. Compare semantics with Russian оплошность (oplošnostʹ, “mistake, bad”), from о- (o-) + плох (plox, “bad”).

Example Sentences

• "Yes, I realise the car isn't supposed to be parked in the heirloom flowerbed. My bad."
• "DMV Tester: Watch out for the bike rid…! Cher: [swerving car to avoid cyclist] Oops! My bad!"