VOA · Words and Their Stories
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Words and Their Stories is VOA's classic program about American English expressions and idioms — where phrases like 'break the ice' come from and how to use them. Native-like idioms in slow, clear speech: a rare combination for learners.
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01And now, words and their stories from VOA Learning English.
02We all make mistakes.
03So, we have the expression, to err is human.
04People who accept responsibility or blame will often say, I'm sorry, or I was wrong.
05Others might say, it's my fault, or I apologize.
06Often, friends use expressions like, that was on me, or my bad.
07But there is another way to say that you accept responsibility, or admit that you made a mistake.
08Some English speakers may say, If that does not sound like English, that's because it isn't.
09American Dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster says that mea culpa means, Through my fault, in Latin.
10The phrase comes from a prayer of confession in the Catholic Church.
11By itself, the expression is used to mean, It was my fault, or I apologize.
12Mea culpa is also a noun.
13People caught doing something wrong often give, or issue, a mea culpa.
14For example, when an official is caught doing something wrong, she might issue a statement that includes a mea culpa.
15Let's hear an example.
16The mayor's mea culpa did not change the minds of voters, and she lost the election.
17Mea culpa is one of many English terms that come from the Latin word culpa, which means guilt.
18Other examples include culpable, culprit, and exculpate.
19When someone deserves blame for something, especially something harmful, we say he is culpable for the outcomes.
20For example, Investigators said that the carmaker was culpable for thousands of accidents because of faulty brakes.
21A culprit is a person guilty of a crime or a fault.
22That is why police officers often call a person guilty of a crime a culprit.
23And the word exculpate means to clear someone from suspected fault or guilt.
24Here's an example.
25The husband was exculpated of his wife's death when she was found alive, living in Paris under a fake name.
26And that's all the time we have for this Words in Their Stories.
27Until next time, I'm Ana Mateo.
28The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End The End!
// transcribed with Whisper AI — reading it is easy; catching it by ear is the skill
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