Synonym Help

[Unregistered]

ok so at work today, there was a new guy who didn't know how to work the cash register. so every time a customer would come through, he would say "I'm sorry I don't know anything; I'm new." It was almost as if he was giving an excuse for not knowing anything. what is a synonym for someone who gives excuses for themselves? it's only one word and we think it starts with the letter P. It is a very sophisticated word. PLEASE HELP!!!

[Soup]

I have no idea, but if I had to guess, and the word had to start with P, then this word, an adjective, not a noun, comes to mind, pathetic. (Poor fellow. He must have been scared?)

[BobK]

Wrong initial, but 'defeatist' springs to mind. Anything to do with 'pusillanimous' (which doesn't mean anything like what you want, but might form part of such a person's mindset)?

b

[BobK]

PS

The P in your memory might come from "self-depreciatory" (depreciatory: Definition, Synonyms and Much More from Answers.com) or "self-deprecating" (deprecate: Definition, Synonyms and Much More from Answers.com ).

b