sorry, Charlie

interjection

Used to express polite rejection or to inform someone that they have missed out on an opportunity.

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Meanings

sorry, Charlie1

interjection
  1. USUsed to express polite rejection or to inform someone that they have missed out on an opportunity.

Sorry, Charlie2

interjection
  1. Alternative letter-case form of sorry, Charlie.

Origin

The phrase originated from a 1960s television advertising campaign for StarKist canned tuna.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

sorry, Charlie. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sorry%2C%20Charlie

MLA

“sorry, Charlie.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sorry%2C%20Charlie. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sorry, Charlie,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sorry%2C%20Charlie.

Source: sorry, Charlie on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.