"on accident" posting #4

[Barnhart]

_by accident_ is sufficiently transparent (i.e. non-idiomatic) to be
used by W3 in its definition 2 of _accidentally_.

_by accident_ is not entered in dictionaries generally:

W3, W2, Encarta, CD,

_by accident_ is, however, an entry in WBD,

_by accident_ is in a sentence in the appropriate definition in Random
House, OED, AHD,

The print examples in my collection are from west of the Mississippi R.

When I searched _on accident_ on www if found that the examples were
more numerous than in print resources of Nexis.  Is this grounds for
considering it generational?

Following are some examples of _on accident_:

A store clerk working when Moya was killed said a man who had been in
the store with Moya ran back inside after the shooting and yelled: “I
just shot my friend on accident.”  Daniel J. Chacon, “Police Seek to
Question Man,” The Santa Fe New Mexican (Nexis), Jan. 3, 2000, p A-1

The team traveled all over Southern California, playing against winter
league teams and colleges such as Cal State Long Beach and Cal State
Los Angeles.  [James] Ferguson allowed one hit in three innings against
USC.  “Playing against those college guys gave me a lot more
confidence,” he said.  “I felt that now, if there was any big situation
or tough games, I would have the ability to go out there and win.  I
knew I wasn't just going out there, hoping for luck, and maybe win on
accident.  And after that, it (this season) was pretty much a piece of
cake.”  Barbie Ludovise, “A Loss Becomes A Lesson; Servite’s [a high
school] Ferguson Wasn’t Stalled By Rocky Start,” Los Angeles Times
(Nexis), May  4, 1987, Sports sect., p 13

A borg dron is created on accident and matures from baby to adult.
Seven begins instructing him to be an individual, however the
Collective is alerted to his presence.  “Season Five of Star Trek
Voyager,” www.geocities.com/TelevisionCitys/7557/season five.html

Regards,
David Barnhart
barnhart at highlands.com