# My Bad



## Antonio

Hi Group,

My brother told me recently, when I saw him, that in English is also used *"My bad"* for *"My mistake"* is this correct?


----------



## Monkling

Yes, it does mean "my mistake." It seems to have become more popular within maybe the last 10 years. I never heard that expression when I was a kid.


----------



## garryknight

And you won't hear it in the UK. [Famous last words...]


----------



## timpeac

Hi There was a discussion on this in this thread -

http://forum.wordreference.com/showthread.php?t=12500&highlight=my+bad

See from post 9 onwards.


----------



## Monkling

garryknight said:
			
		

> And you won't hear it in the UK.


I'm not especially fond of the expression. It seems to be more common among the kids. Those crazy kids! What will they come up with next to confuse the adults & the people trying to learn English?


----------



## mzsweeett

Monkling said:
			
		

> Yes, it does mean "my mistake." It seems to have become more popular within maybe the last 10 years. I never heard that expression when I was a kid.


Yes, agreed. It is common street slang and never used in writing unless you are looking at R&B, Pop, or Hip Hop lyrics. I cringe when I hear my kids say it and always correct them for it. May they forever blow soap bubbles from their lips!! LOL! 

Sweet T.


----------



## garryknight

mzsweeett said:
			
		

> It is common street slang and never used in writing



You'd see it quite a bit on Usenet newsgroups should you ever be inclined to venture that way. But then you see all kinds of things on Usenet...


----------



## Jeremy Sharpe

Yes, I suspect that it has its origins in Internet slang, but has been generally accepted by pop-culture. I hate it in the same way that I hate 'I feel badly for you.'


----------



## Antonio

I guess you can sound cool and be understood, if you say that. Is common to hear that from younger people or adults this days, yes I do agree, that the kids made up all this slang.


----------



## mzsweeett

Antonio said:
			
		

> I guess you can sound cool and be understood, if you say that. Is common to hear that from younger people or adults this days, yes I do agree, that the kids made up all this slang.


Experience tells me that younger people and not the older say such things. However I can be wrong... just never actually heard it from an elder.

Sweet T.


----------



## Jeremy Sharpe

mzsweeett said:
			
		

> Experience tells me that younger people and not the older say such things. However I can be wrong... just never actually heard it from an elder.
> 
> Sweet T.



I've only ever heard it from adults who were trying to appear 'cool'.


----------



## mzsweeett

Jeremy Sharpe said:
			
		

> I've only ever heard it from adults who were trying to appear 'cool'.


Really? Can you give me some situations?? Maybe it is regional that I have not heard it from adults? 

Sweet T.


----------



## jniec

Surfer/skater word,  akin to "oops"

I suspect "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure" as an early source.  Also used by Homer Simpson.

Used to replace "I apologize" or "I'm sorry," but "my bad" is less sincere.

It conveys the sentiment, "I recognize I did that, but it doesn't matter much to me."

OK to use with friends.  Not recommended with strangers.  Not appropriate in a professional environment.



			
				garryknight said:
			
		

> You'd see it quite a bit on Usenet newsgroups should you ever be inclined to venture that way. But then you see all kinds of things on Usenet...


----------



## Jeremy Sharpe

mzsweeett said:
			
		

> Really? Can you give me some situations?? Maybe it is regional that I have not heard it from adults?
> 
> Sweet T.



An example would be a DJ at a party for teenagers who accidentally turns off the music in the middle. They might slip out an 'oops, my bad.'


----------



## mzsweeett

Jeremy Sharpe said:
			
		

> An example would be a DJ at a party for teenagers who accidentally turns off the music in the middle. They might slip out an 'oops, my bad.'


Aaaah, gotcha!! Thanks for the scenario...dude!!

    
Sweet T


----------



## te gato

I agree...

When someone looks at me and says ' MY BAD '....I usually end up looking at them like they just disembarked from the U.F.O.. ..and to confuse them even more I ask them ' You're bad what? '... 

te gato


----------



## garryknight

te gato said:
			
		

> Ito confuse them even more I ask them ' You're bad what? '


Me too. Only I usually say "Your bad what? Grammar?"


----------



## gaer

mzsweeett said:
			
		

> Experience tells me that younger people and not the older say such things. However I can be wrong... just never actually heard it from an elder.
> 
> Sweet T.


I work with kids all day long. They ALL say it, from 7 on up.

I told a student's mother that it is very common. She said she never heard it.

The next week she told me her HUSBAND said it. 

Gaer


----------



## mjscott

"And she spilled her tray half-way across the cafeteria!"
--"Hey! Whattaya doin' dissin' me?
"It's not a diss. I just was telling them what happened."
--"Well, I think it's a diss!"
"Oh, okay. My bad!"


----------



## te gato

mjscott said:
			
		

> "And she spilled her tray half-way across the cafeteria!"
> --"Hey! Whattaya doin' dissin' me?
> "It's not a diss. I just was telling them what happened."
> --"Well, I think it's a diss!"
> "Oh, okay. My bad!"


 
mjscott;

Ahummm..excuse me..were you just speaking English? 

te gato


----------



## garryknight

mjscott said:
			
		

> "And she spilled her tray half-way across the cafeteria!"
> --"Hey! Whattaya doin' dissin' me?
> "It's not a diss. I just was telling them what happened."
> --"Well, I think it's a diss!"
> "Oh, okay. My bad!"



That could be Harlem, NY, USA, or it could be Catford, London, UK. It's a shrinking world.


----------



## gaer

garryknight said:
			
		

> That could be Harlem, NY, USA, or it could be Catford, London, UK. It's a shrinking world.


Or South Florida. 

I wanted to mention that in the other thread, it was mentioned that "That's my bad" and "It's my bad" aren't used.

Well, they are. I hear that all day too. 

Gaer


----------



## mzsweeett

mjscott said:
			
		

> "And she spilled her tray half-way across the cafeteria!"
> --"Hey! Whattaya doin' dissin' me?
> "It's not a diss. I just was telling them what happened."
> --"Well, I think it's a diss!"
> "Oh, okay. My bad!"


Ok so we have determined that this is definitely "street slang" I shudder and cringe that adults use this form of speech. My mom would have washed my mouth with soap until the factories ran out!!!

Sweet T


----------



## JLanguage

I personally use "my bad" all the time. I think that originally it was limited to Ebonics, but thanks to the influence of American pop culture, it's becoming almost ubiquitous here in The States.


----------



## lsp

JLanguage said:
			
		

> I personally use "my bad" all the time. I think that originally it was limited to Ebonics, but thanks to the influence of American pop culture, it's becoming almost ubiquitous here in The States.


Me, too. There are certainly situations where it doesn't fit, but with my friends... it's not at all uncommon. It is getting a _little_ old, but nothing else has come along yet...


----------



## gaer

lsp said:
			
		

> Me, too. There are certainly situations where it doesn't fit, but with my friends... it's not at all uncommon. It is getting a _little_ old, but nothing else has come along yet...


I plead guilty too. I'm especially likely to use it around my students. I picked it up from them. 

G


----------



## garryknight

gaer said:
			
		

> I wanted to mention that in the other thread, it was mentioned that "That's my bad" and "It's my bad" aren't used.
> Well, they are. I hear that all day too.



It probably won't be long before we hear "I wonder who's bad it is...".


----------



## gaer

garryknight said:
			
		

> It probably won't be long before we hear "I wonder who's bad it is...".


Garry, I don't want to scare you, but someone is probably already saying it right now!


----------



## garryknight

gaer said:
			
		

> Garry, I don't want to scare you, but someone is probably already saying it right now!



Wow! Now I wonder whose bad _*that*_ is!


----------



## Antonio

I reading through all your posts and I figured, we can say *"My bad"* or *"It's my bad"* for anything that is wrong or we made wrong, am I right?


----------



## aigle491

I also use my bad with my friends when we just "hang out"


----------



## lsp

Antonio said:
			
		

> I reading through all your posts and I figured, we can say *"My bad"* or *"It's my bad"* for anything that is wrong or we made wrong, am I right?


I know people have disagreed, but "It's my bad" is NOT the expression. It's said, but it's not the original expression.


----------



## gaer

lsp said:
			
		

> I know people have disagreed, but "It's my bad" is NOT the expression. It's said, but it's not the original expression.


I never said anything about what the original expression is. I'm merely reporting how I hear it used. 

Gaer


----------



## garryknight

Antonio said:
			
		

> I reading through all your posts and I figured, we can say *"My bad"* or *"It's my bad"* for anything that is wrong or we made wrong, am I right?



It's only used in situations where you feel responsible for having done something wrong. And *NO*, you *CAN'T* use it!  Oh, well, all right, go on then. If you *have* to...


----------



## Marco PCA

Hi there, I was wondering what would be an equivalent in British English to "my bad". Would it be just "*my fault*" ?

Cheers,
Marco


----------



## sound shift

Marco PCA said:


> Hi there, I was wondering what would be an equivalent in British English to "my bad". Would it be just "*my fault*" ?


No, that doesn't sound right to me: it seems to imply blame, and we're not really talking about that.

There must be lots of possibilities:
"You're right."
"My mistake."
Etc.


----------



## babyysteps

jniec said:


> Used to replace "I apologize" or "I'm sorry," but "my bad" is less sincere.


I'm searching the net for answers to reply to "My bad" (which i don"t seem to find...), but having seen so many definitions/explainings of this expression, i believe this is the best one!


----------



## Hermione Golightly

.
Please give us a context. That's what a suitable reply depends on as well as who you are talking to. If it's somebody you depend on, you can just say "I forgive you!" with a happy smile, as if it was the biggest joke in the world.
I loathe the expression - it's one of my pet language peeves.


----------



## babyysteps

Hermione Golightly said:


> .
> Please give us a context. That's what a suitable reply depends on as well as who you are talking to. If it's somebody you depend on, you can just say "I forgive you!" with a happy smile, as if it was the biggest joke in the world.
> I loathe the expression - it's one of my pet language peeves.


You're right 
Even if your answer is noy bad for what i need it (it's too long of a story to give all the details), let's say i'd like to be a bit ironic (not too much, though), or joking. Smth like: "Yes, you're bad" (or "Yes, you bad" ???), or... pfff, i don't know... The expression is quite new to me (though i understand well the meaning), so i don't, really, know how to interpret it, especially the answers that would go to it (i'm still learning my english)


----------



## Hermione Golightly

Well we can only speculate. If you like him enough to forgive him, you could say "Yes you are a very, very naughty boy"


----------



## babyysteps

Hermione Golightly said:


> Well we can only speculate. If you like him enough to forgive him, you could say "Yes you are a very, very naughty boy"


It's not the case, but thank you for trying!


----------

