Sorry, Mac

Posted by Smokey Stover on May 23, 2007

In Reply to: Sorry, Mac posted by MK on May 23, 2007

: Sorry, Mac.

: What is the origin of the phrase?

The plain English meaning is, "I'm sorry, fella." The words Mac, fella, pal, chum, are ways of saying, either in a friendly manner or not, "You, Whatever-your-name-is." The Oxford English Dictionary says "[Mac:]Used as a familiar form of address to a (male) stranger", and other dictionaries say the same thing in different words.
My guess (an easy one) is that it started someplace where men of Irish or Scottish extraction were commonly encountered.
SS

• Sorry, Mac ESC 23/May/07