au temps pour moi

== French == === Alternative forms === autant pour moi === Etymology === Whether the true orthography is autant pour moi or au temps pour moi is unknown. The two co-exist and have their proponents: 1) autant pour moi: an elliptic form of the expression « C'est autant pour moi », or « C'est autant d'erreur que l'on peut mettre à mon actif » (~ those are mistakes one can attribute to me). This version is defended by French writer and translator Claude Duneton. 2) au temps pour moi: according to the Académie Française, au temps ! originally meant to start all over again in the military (reprendre, recommencer). Then more extensively, it began to be used to agree to a mistake, and to agree to "start all over again" so as not to do it again. But this explanation is criticised by some people considering that this form is a pedantic respelling of autant pour moi. The Académie Française only allows the second form of the expression, but the first is very common. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /o tɑ̃ puʁ mwa/ === Interjection === au temps pour moi my bad, my mistake, silly me, I stand corrected === References === === Further reading === "au temps pour moi", Dictionnaire de l'Académie Française [1] "au temps pour moi", Dictionnaire des francophones [2]