Also, I was thinking re: the whole "mistake" thing ....
... it really depends on the motivation of the person using the word. "I made a mistake" could mean, "whoopsie, didn't mean it, I want a mulligan, stop blaming me and let's move on." Sure.
But it could also be a word that means, "I made a serious error in judgement, I must have been out of my mind, but I want you to know that I didn't act out of malice to hurt you deliberately."
Context and actions reveal which meaning is intended.
"Show me a completely smooth operation and I'll show you someone who's covering mistakes. Real boats rock." -- Frank Herbert
