Manute Bol May Have Originated The Phrase, 'My Bad'

We've been talking about the recently-deceased Manute Bol a lot this weekend, and for good reason. Here's another item to add to the list of the man's diverse and positive contributions to society: as Mathew Ingram notes, Bol may have been the one to originate and popularize the phrase, "my bad."

St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Jan. 10, 1989: When he [Manute Bol] throws a bad pass, he'll say, "My bad" instead of "My fault," and now all the other players say the same thing.

USA Today, Jan. 27, 1989: After making a bad pass, instead of saying "my fault," Manute Bol says, "my bad." Now all the other Warriors say it too.

Now, there is some debate as to whether Bol was actually the inventor of this phrase, but the startling irony to be observed here is that one of the most commonly-used expressions of apology was popularized by a man who had less to apologize for than just about anybody.

(A firm handshake to Jonah Keri)