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Interestingly (to me) the author used the phrase "on accident". I googled it and found this: http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/215/is-it-correct-to-sa
by mjlee 10y ago
Interestingly (to me) the author used the phrase "on accident". I googled it and found this: http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/215/is-it-correct-to-say-on-accident-instead-of-by-accident http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/215/is-it-correct...
As a British English speaker, this stopped me in my tracks. I'm wondering if it had the same effect on the American English readers of this article.
- DavidSJ 10y agoIt's not proper American English either but it's becoming increasingly common.
- a3n 10y agoNot becoming, I heard and used it as a kid in the sixties.
- _acme 10y agoIt's pretty standard usage in the Chicago area of the Midwest.
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- deleted 10y ago[deleted]
- jasallen 10y agoI'm American and it drives me crazy to hear this, but it is regretfully not terribly uncommon.
- JadeNB 10y agoHeh. Muphry's law (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muphry's_law https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muphry's_law) demands that you use 'regretfully' instead of 'regrettably' (http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/275034 http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/275034) when chastising someone's language.
- Malice 10y agoIt's a regional thing, more common some places than others. Australian English speaker, lived in Chicago for 10 years, it's very common there. My best guess for the origin was as an opposite to "on purpose".
- Kurtz79 10y agoAmazingly, there is even a paper on the subject: http://www.inst.at/trans/16Nr/01_4/barratt16.htm http://www.inst.at/trans/16Nr/01_4/barratt16.htm
- na85 10y agoIt's associated with being uneducated and/or working class, at least in Canada. Saying "on accident" here would make you seem very blue-collar, or like a hick.
- jpeg_hero 10y agoDo you British English speakers use the phrase "on purpose" ?