mea culpa
may-uh KOOL-pa
noun
an acknowledgment of error, guilt, or fault
1870Bret Harte The Luck of Roaring Camp and Other Tales The master lifted her gently, and waited for the paroxysm to pass. When, with face still averted, she was repeating between her sobs the mea culpa of childish penitence—that 'she'd be good, she didn't mean to,' etc., it came to him to ask her why she had left Sabbath-school. 1922Mary Johnston1492And, O my Lord, never more will I forget that that tomb in which thou didst rest, still, still is held by the infidel!' He beat his breast. ' Mea culpa! mea culpa! '1987S. T. HaymonDeath of a GodWho did he think he was kidding? That must be the kind of guff all faithless lovers fed into their personal computers to get themselves in the clear. Mea culpa. Metaphorically, over his cornflakes and cup of instant, he beat his breast, calling himself all the right names—a lecher, a swine, a dirty old man.1992Connie WillisThe Doomsday Book'Mea culpa,' she whispered, 'mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.' Through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault, but that wasn't right, that was only in the Confiteor Deo.2003Clive Cussler and Paul KemprecosWhite DeathMea culpa. It didn't seem like a bad idea at the time.Labels: Bret Harte, Clive Cussler, Connie Willis, Mary Johnston, Paul Kemprecos, S. T. Haymon
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Entry By: CJ Cooney
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