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  • Feifei: Welcome to The English We Speak.

  • Hello, I'm Feifei... but where is Rob?

  • Rob: ... Oh! Hi, Feifei, you're nice and early -

  • can't wait to get started, hey?

  • Feifei: I'm not early - you are late!

  • Rob: Late? No, no, no, no - we said we'd

  • start at half past ten... didn't we?

  • Feifei: No - ten o'clock, Rob. Look at this

  • text message: "Can we start earlier at ten,

  • please?" and you replied "sure".

  • Rob: Oh! My bad!

  • Feifei: Your back? Don't start complaining

  • about your back just to avoid apologising.

  • Rob: No, not my back - my bad! I am

  • apologising - that's what 'my bad' means -

  • it's an American English phrase that

  • we use sometimes to mean

  • we accept responsibility for a mistake.

  • Feifei: Well, that's good to know. So you're

  • really saying 'sorry'?

  • Rob: Well, not exactly. Let's hear some

  • more examples of using 'my bad'...

  • My bad! It was me who put my pink socks

  • in with the white washing - oops!

  • My friend knocked a glass of red wine

  • over me and all he could say was 'my bad'

  • - I don't think he was that bothered!

  • It was me who lost the car keys - my bad -

  • I'm sure they'll turn up somewhere.

  • Feifei: This is The English We Speak from

  • BBC Learning English, and we're finding

  • out about the phrase 'my bad' which is

  • slang for saying my fault, my mistake, I am

  • to blame - but Rob, just can't bring himself

  • to say 'sorry'! I'm sensing 'my bad' is a

  • way of apologising without actually

  • saying sorry.

  • Rob: Yes, I suppose so - but I'll say 'sorry'

  • if that helps. You know I can't be perfect

  • all the time!

  • Feifei: That's true.

  • Rob: Anyway, why are you so keen to start

  • early today?

  • Feifei: Oh! My bad - I forgot to tell you

  • it's Neil's birthday and we're leaving early

  • to go and celebrate at the pub.

  • Rob: That is bad - that wasn't a mistake,

  • you did that on purpose.

  • Feifei: Why would I do that? Come on,

  • Rob, I'm sure you can join us - just don't

  • forget your wallet.

  • Rob: OK. Bye.

  • Feifei: Bye.

Feifei: Welcome to The English We Speak.

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