sorry about that
Glib or lighthearted recognition of some mistake one has made, regardless of how serious (or not) the mistake may be. Sometimes expressed more colloquially as "sorry 'bout that." A: "Oops, sorry about that. I didn't realize you were still using this computer." B: "Oh, don't worry about it. I'll just log in on a different one." A: "You ruined my entire batch of brownies!" B: "Oh yeah, sorry 'bout that. I needed the oven, though, so I just took them out."
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
(I'm) sorry.
an expression used to excuse oneself politely or apologize, especially when one has collided with someone, when one has offended someone, or to ask someone to repeat what has been said. "I'm sorry," I said to the woman I bumped into. I'm sorry, what did you say? I couldn't hear you.
sorry about that
and sorry 'bout thatsorry; whoops. (A gross understatement, said more as a self-deprecating joke than as an apology.) You spill hot cocoa on my coat, and all you can say is "Sorry 'about that"? When the passenger stepped on my toe, she said, "sorry about that."
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
sorry
and pathetic mod. pitiful; drawing ridicule or scorn; worthy more of condemnation than pity. (In colloquial use these words are usually used in sarcasm and disgust.) You are one sorry bastard! You are a pathetic person and a pathetic example of a quarterback!
sorry about that
and sorry ’bout that interj. sorry; whoops. (A gross understatement, said more as a self-deprecating joke than as an apology.) When the passenger stepped on my toe, she said, “Sorry about that.”
sorry ’bout that
verbMcGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.