Commenting on my post The End, Catherine had the following to say: “blasted English language and phrases…so many “endings” to all the commentators ideals about “the end”.
Just to take this a little further, yesterday, I forwarded a WhatsApp message giving some information to some friends in a group. One of them advised me that the message was fake and that I should not forward it to others. I responded “My bad. I shall not forward it if I receive it again.” Another friend in the same group promptly responded that he was surprised at my using “my bad” and that he found it difficult to use it in normal exchanges. Another friend chipped in that he too found it odd when someone else had used it but, since it came from me, he let it pass. I posted the dictionary meaning of the phrase and moved on.
A little later, I was in discussion on the phone with another friend on the subject of the current lockdown and Covid 9 when he mentioned the W effect which was a totally new concept for me. It simply means that like the word W, Covid will wax and vane for the next few years and we will be in a cycle of relaxation and reintroduction of lockdowns. The prospect is not very encouraging to say the least.
And after we had disconnected I remembered a long forgotten word – agathokakological. I sent it to both the first group and the second friend to amuse them and the former asked for a dictionary link to understand the word and the latter simply added a couple of smileys and “more kako than agatho unfortunately! I not only sent the link to the first group but, also added “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”
Language simply fascinates me.
I too am a linguistic fan. Particularly on idioms and interpretations and dialects.
My bad is an escape from an outright apology IMO.
I do love the evolution of language.
XO
WWW
I too.
I don’t know about other languages. but the English language seems to be a living breathing thing! perhaps why I enjoy re-reading Jane Austen. it slows me down and I enjoy the company of the words in another era.
“my bad” irritated me when it first came upon the scene. now I accept it for just what it is. a mea culpa of sorts.
and slang becomes accepted. kinda fun really! just like the comma. I never liked commas. 😀
That you did not like the use of capital letters is known to me and now, you come with commas too! That is grammar, not the English language. I simply use any punctuation mark as I feel right instead of going by Wren and Martin.
Language purists will always object to new words, or a new meaning for an old word, or a foreign word instead of an English one. I’m quite relaxed about these changes in the language, they’re fascinating. I have no problem with “my bad” or the new meaning for “gay” or other such mutations. What does irritate me though is meaningless clichés like “going forward” or “thinking outside the box” or “pushing the envelope”.
Those phrases bug me too.
My bad – somehow, I still am not able to reconcile to it. I know, I know – my bad 🙂
Can you hear me laugh Jayant?