I’ve only noticed “my bad” being used in the sense of "my mistake’ for the past year or two. It may have been in use for much longer, but since I don’t live in the U.S. I may have missed it.
Given that even Cecil is now using it, I’ve become curious about its origins.
A few questions:
How long has it been around?
What area/subculture did it originate in?
Was it popularized by a specific movie, TV show, or song?
Although it was around before then, I think the movie “Clueless” (in 1995) included it as a catch phrase that brought it to the general public. My guess is that it originated in urban English (ebonics).
I’d concur. I first ran into that phrase playing basketball as a youth with folks of all hues, circa 1987.
I remember first hearing it in early 90s West Coast rap, though I can’t think of a specific example at the moment.
I have used it for years. On fellow asked me if I played volleyball when he heard me say it once. It so happened I was a big volleyball freak at the time and Karch Kiraly was my hero. So of course I said “ummm yeah how’d you guess.” He said that term was used in volleyball but forgot where it originated specifically.
I always thought it was from the latin phrase “mea culpa” which was popularized in prayer, like this one.
(I will not make a Britney Spears joke. I will not.)
My friends and I used in the 7th grade (ca. 1976). We picked it up from the black guys in our school.
follow up question: How come nobody says “My good”? Just too humble, or what?