ENTRY NO. 0247 EXAMINED 2026-10-09 2 CONFIGURATIONS ON FILE

MY BAD

01 CASUAL APOLOGY 02 NO BIG DEAL RESPONSE
SENSE 01 phrase PREVALENCE 53%

casual apology

The verbal equivalent of a shrug that still counts as an apology.
1

Variations

  • mb
  • my b
  • my fault
2

Origin

Most lineage traces it to American pickup basketball and streetball culture of the 1970s-80s, where a quick 'my bad' kept the game moving after a blown play; it crossed into mainstream slang through hip-hop and 90s sitcoms, though nobody can point to a single origin game or player, which is itself very 'my bad' of the historical record.

3

Examples

"I grabbed your coffee by accident — my bad."
"My bad, I totally spaced on the meeting time."
"He bumped into three people and just muttered 'my bad' at the general vicinity."
4

Cultural context

Deploy it for minor, low-stakes mistakes where a full 'I'm sorry' would feel oddly formal; using it for something that actually hurt someone reads as flippant and will not land well.

SENSE 02 phrase PREVALENCE 47%

no big deal response

Dismissive acknowledgment that something minor went wrong.
1

Variations

  • mb
  • my b
  • my fault
2

Origin

Widely credited to pickup basketball courts in the 1970s-80s as quick shorthand for 'that was my mistake,' with likely roots in African American Vernacular English before crossing into mainstream slang via sports broadcasts and 90s sitcoms. Nobody filed the paperwork, so take the timeline as a strong rumor rather than a verdict.

3

Examples

"I totally forgot your birthday — my bad."
"My bad, I sent that spreadsheet to the whole company instead of just Dave."
"Stepped on your foot, my bad, didn't see you there."
4

Cultural context

Functions as a low-stakes apology that acknowledges fault while explicitly refusing to dwell on it, which makes it perfect for minor gaffes and oddly tone-deaf for anything that actually hurt someone.

STILL NOT IT?

If none of these configurations is the one you meant, the machine can run a fresh search and document the missing meaning.

Or is the entry itself wrong? File a correction — a human reads every one.