[Ads-l] "my bad" redux

Tue Oct 23 22:13:51 UTC 2018

> I have always assumed that, in the expression "my bad," "bad" is being
used          > adjectively, with the noun it modifies being implicit,
rather than "bad" being used as > a noun.

Youneverknow.

On Tue, Oct 23, 2018 at 5:25 PM Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at yale.edu> wrote:

> I have always assumed that, in the expression "my bad," "bad" is being
> used adjectively, with the noun it modifies being implicit, rather than
> "bad" being used as a noun.
>
>
> Fred
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of
> ADSGarson O'Toole <adsgarsonotoole at GMAIL.COM>
> Sent: Tuesday, October 23, 2018 4:51 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Re: "my bad" redux
>
> Here is another example in 1980 of the parallel structure with "my
> goods" and "my bads". This seems closer to the modern meaning of "my
> bad(s)" because the context is clearly apologetic.
>
> Newspaper: The Evening Sun
> Newspaper Location: Baltimore, Maryland
> Date: September 15, 1980
> Page: C2
>
>
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>
> [Begin excerpt]
> "I blew it," he said. He was not being noble. "I made all the [play]
> calls. They were my goods and my bads."
> [End excerpt]
>
> Garson
> On Tue, Oct 23, 2018 at 4:40 PM ADSGarson O'Toole
> <adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > Great thread Ben, Peter, and LH. Below is a use in June 1980 of "my
> > bads" meaning "my mistakes", but it does not quite match the modern
> > meaning. Perhaps it can be viewed as a precursor.
> >
> > The team of a basketball coach named John Pellegrino has been
> > penalized because of the coach's actions. Pellegrino says he knows how
> > General George Custer felt. Pellegrino "acknowledges some of the
> > administrative errors/judgments that led to problems". He uses "my
> > bads" to refer to his errors.
> >
> > Issue Date: June 7, 1980
> > Newspaper: The Tampa Tribune
> > Newspaper Location: Tampa, Florida
> > Article: The Morning After: The Darkest Days of John Pellegrino
> > Author: Tom McEwen (Sports Editor)
> > Start Page 1C, Quote Page 6C, Column 3
> > Database: Newspapers.com
> >
> >
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> >
> > [Begin excerpt]
> > As for George Custer Pellegrino's last stand, "All I can say is I
> > believe my goods outweigh my bads by far. Put us on probation if they
> > must, but don't cancel the season, and let me keep coaching."
> > [End excerpt]
> >
> > Garson
> > On Tue, Oct 23, 2018 at 4:11 PM Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at gmail.com> wrote:
> > >
> > > Well spotted! Here's Peter's clipping of the whole slang list:
> > >
> > >
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> > >
> > > (Manute Bol was still in Khartoum in 1981, so we can safely rule him
> out as
> > > the originator of "my bad.")
> > >
> > > On Tue, Oct 23, 2018 at 3:51 PM Peter Reitan <pjreitan at hotmail.com>
> wrote:
> > >
> > > > From a "list of slang words in current use in Montgomery [Alabama],
> and
> > > > was compiled from high school and college students. . . .  My bad -
> > > > admission of a mistake, as 'Sorry, my bad.'"
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > The Montgomery Advertiser (Montgomery, Alabama), May 3, 1981,
> Section D,
> > > > page 1.
> > > >
> > > > ________________________________
> > > > From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf
> of Ben
> > > > Zimmer <bgzimmer at GMAIL.COM>
> > > > Sent: Tuesday, October 23, 2018 9:20 AM
> > > > To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> > > > Subject: Re: "my bad" redux
> > > >
> > > > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > > > -----------------------
> > > > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > > > Poster:       Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at GMAIL.COM>
> > > > Subject:      Re: "my bad" redux
> > > >
> > > >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > > >
> > > > In the 2010 thread I linked to, Jesse Sheidlower mentioned that the
> OED had
> > > > "my bad" from The Back-In-Your-Face Guide to Pick-Up Basketball
> (1986),
> > > > which is cited in the OED3 entry (after the 1985 cite Garson found).
> Jon
> > > > Lighter seemed to think it might be in the earlier edition, The
> > > > In-Your-Face Basketball Book (1980), but I believe an OED researcher
> > > > checked and it wasn't there. But we still may be able to find it in
> some
> > > > pre-1985 source, since, as Larry said, the '85 cites take it as a
> known
> > > > phrase (at least among sportswriters who presumably enjoyed playing
> pick-up
> > > > basketball).
> > > >
> > > > On Tue, Oct 23, 2018 at 11:51 AM Laurence Horn <
> laurence.horn at yale.edu>
> > > > wrote:
> > > >
> > > > > We had a thread on this in October 1997; the consensus was that it
> > > > > originated in the mid 1980s in a basketball context (presumably
> from
> > > > > players admitting they were responsible for a foul), so basically
> > > > > consistent with the findings below.  It would seem from the Dan
> Rooney
> > > > > quote, though, that that usage must have established (although
> perhaps
> > > > not
> > > > > attested in print) before April 1985.  The truth is out there!
> > > > >
> > > > > LH
> > > > >
> > > > > > On Oct 23, 2018, at 11:31 AM, Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at GMAIL.COM>
> wrote:
> > > > > >
> > > > > > On the Woot.com blog, Ken Jennings has a post in his "debunker"
> series,
> > > > > > "Did Manute Bol Coin the Phrase 'My Bad'?":
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
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> > > > > >
> > > > > > This appears to rely on research I rounded up in a Word Routes
> column
> > > > in
> > > > > > 2010, after Manute Bol died:
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
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> > > > > >
> > > > > > In that column, I noted that the earliest known citation was one
> that
> > > > > > Garson found from Nov. 1985 and posted to ADS-L. (It was
> subsequently
> > > > > > included in the OED3 entry for "bad.")
> > > > > >
> > > > > > ----
> > > > > > 1985 Gainesville Sun 14 Nov. 3E Yes, the Vols still must host
> Vandy the
> > > > > > following weekend, but c'mon, Vandy? Oops, my bad, I forgot for a
> > > > moment
> > > > > > what the Commodore did to Georgia. Silly me.
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
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> > > > > >
> > > >
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> > > > > > ----
> > > > > >
> > > > > > That example was from Bobby Tyler, a sportswriter in Gainesville,
> > > > > Florida.
> > > > > > Here it is earlier in 1985 from Dan Rooney, a local sports
> columnist in
> > > > > > Muncie, Indiana.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > ----
> > > > > > The Star Press (Muncie, Indiana), Apr. 14, 1985, p. C7, col. 3
> > > > > > I know. I picked Fuzzy Zoeller to win the Masters and he didn't
> even
> > > > make
> > > > > > the cut. My bad.
> > > > > >
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> > > > > > ----
> > > > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > ------------------------------------------------------------
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