Dan Steinberg, “Manute Bol Did Not Coin ‘My Bad’” (D.C. Sports Bog, Washington Post, June 22, 2010)
Over the weekend, I — and many other blogging types — were directed to an item on the Language Log blog from a few years back, suggesting that Manute Bol may have played a role either in creating or popularizing the phrase “my bad.” He certainly was one of the first NBA players to be quoted using it, in early 1989. … Well, since I may have played some extremely minor role in us reaching that point, I figure it’s only fair for me to do my part to debunk it. Ben Zimmer, who writes the On Language column for the NYT Magazine, just presented at least five “my bad” usages that pre-date Bol’s first “my bad” quote, one of which was uttered by Rex Chapman, of all people. And one of these came in 1985, more than three years before Bol used it in print.
Read the rest here.