"My bad" or "My bag"??

[wilsarnie]

Help solve an argument...

When people admit to something being their fault, which one of the two saying is it?

[Quizmonster]

'My bag' generally refers to one's speciality or interest rather than being used as an admission of guilt. So, someone might say, "I know your hobby is football but fishing is my bag."
I have never heard it used to mean 'fault'.

[wilsarnie]

It's a younger generation thing (lol, I'm only 26!!).

It's generally used for being admitting to things or apologising without actually having to say sorry. I'm pretty sure it's 'bad' but Mr Wilsarnie reckons 'bag'.

[B00]

It's bad, when you're in the wrong. and like QM said, it's bag for when you have a speciality.

[Clanad]

Here in the U.S., it's one of those detestable and hopefully short lived sayings whose etymology (not unlike those who utter them) is unknown. Generally it is a shortening of "It's my fault" when one admits to a mistake. Somehow it became "My bad"... said with an air of insincerity with the everpresent baseball cap worn in reverse....

One of two teens walking on a bright day, both with reversed caps says, "Sure be nice if someone invented something to keep the sun out of your eyes!"...

[scotchollie]

The best I can offer you is that 'My bad' is slang for 'Am I bad?' As in: "Am I bad? "I should have known that/not done that."

I think it originates from the film 'Clueless' and is uttered by Alicia Silverstone.

My bag, is more difficult. Possibly originates from 1960s American basketball when a player was shooting - 'It's my bag' though I have heard that it might have medical roots that date back to the days of doctors carrying bags.

Different doctors had different specialities, so if one could not cure you it might very well be that the cure was in another doctor's bag! "Dropsy, Sir? That's MY bag!"

Either way, it usually means, "It's my thing."

The two could be used in tandem as in:

"Shoplifting. My bag! My bad?"

[Quizmonster]

In 1960, the earliest recorded use of 'bag', in the sense of a thing particularly associated with a given person, related to American jazz musicians and it meant their particular, individual style of playing.
The first recorded British usage appeared in The Sunday Times in 1966. It referred to a woman who was "in a folk-song bag right now". The same article spoke of someone whose 'bag' was paper-sculpture.
So, it would appear to have nothing much to do with doctors or basketball. Rather it seems in the beginning to have been entirely artistically inclined...music/sculpture. It merely suggests that one is "wrapped up" (rapt) in whatever is being spoken of, in much the same way as a purchase is "wrapped up" in a paper bag in a shop/store.

[wilsarnie]

Here's something interesting on

www.urbandictionary.com

and that I possibly should've found before asking the question...

"My bad"

A way of admitting a mistake, and apologizing for that mistake, without actually apologizing. The best definition I ever read of this, now paraphrased:

"I did something bad, and I recognize that I did something bad, but there is nothing that can be done for it now, and there is technically no reason to apologize for that error, so let's just assume that I won't do it again, get over it, and move on with our lives."

Ruder than apologizing, but with the same meaning: a flippant apology.

"You just spilled your beer on my term paper!!"
"Er... my bad."

OR

A combination of an apology and a dismissal. Basically, saying "oh yeah, I did that, but I don't care".

Persons of an older generation can find this quite annoying to hear when expecting an actual apology.

"Hey, you spilled my Coke all over me!"

"Oh. My bad."

Cont..
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[wilsarnie]

Cont...

And also from the same website;

1. my bag

my bag,

(African American/Black -- Hip Hop Urban American Slang to Present Common Slang)

1. Synonymous to ones mistake or fault.

2. To presume without knowing all of the facts of a situation/story, but to find oneself at fault with inaccurate information concerning the presumed situation. But, to make an apology after making the mistake in judgement.

3. To incorrectly assume.

Ugly-Girl "Talk too Much" Jackson: Common on NaNa, he ain't no good!

NaNa "Like to Fight" Braggs: Girl, he got a job job, and no children aborted, alive or under false paternity.

Ugly-Girl: My bag, NaNa -- I thought he was trivial.

Translation: NaNa, I am sorry of my misjudgement of him; I thought he was of the street.

NaNa: That's okay, baby.

Ugly-Girl: NaNa, he gotta then be gay.

NaNa: Sit your dumb ass down and shut up before he overhears you. I am gonna get his digits/telephone number.

Ugly-girl: Right...right, I'll chill and sit down -- my bag again/fault.

2. my bag

To label something as your preference.

Thats my kinda thing = "That's my bag baby!"

3. my bag

The Michigan version of "my bad".
A mistake.

"Oh that was your beer I just spilled? My bag."


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So it seems like everyone was right but in the context of the question both me & Mr Wilsarnie were BOTH right and admission of fault could be from "my bag" or "my bad".

Thanks everyone! *Lesson for today over* ;)

[kaylamay]

when admitting fault or error it's "my bad"

[tatutom]

the answer is "My Bag" as in My dope bag! not his not your but mine , so arrest me instead of my friend! Nancy Reagan spent like 50-100 million dollars on a campaign to change my bag to my bad . this involved Hollywood stars and all sorts of Republican cronies.
People would take the blame for their friends who had charges pending or maybe on probation , etc,ect . Then it became a saying my Bag. Nancy said just say no and it cost the tax payer millions

[dueces]

It is my bag. If you watch movies from the 80's or early 90's you will hear my "bag". If you watch the television show Martin, you will hear it alot.

Its like an apology.

It kinda shifted around the mid-to late 90's when the movie Clueless came out with Alicia Silverstone, that is the first time the term my "bad" was ever used on television.

[jboncha]

My bad has been around a lot longer than most people think - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mea_culpa

[stantmann]

In the 80's we started saying "My Bag". This made sense, because of a mistake, you wanted to ensure the other person didnt take the blame, or in other words, "left them holding the bag".

We responded with "My Bag" to take the blame. Somehow over the years, it evolved into "My Bad". There used to be references to this on the web back in the late 90's correcting people from "my bad". By that time Clueless came out and made "My Bad" the normal saying. Not sure if you can find the origin of it now, but you can watch 80's t shows and movies and they say bag.

[Jjshaka]

The correct use of the phrase is My Back. Meaning since I made a mistake you now have my backing in the matter.