on accident

[FRITZ JUENGLING]

Most interesting. This can't be a Wash-Ore isogloss--maybe it runs between McMinn and Salem.  I hear this all the time--so often that it doesn't bother me and never thought about it before.  I am sure I even use it.  I think for those who use it, it is the opposite of 'on purpose,' hence, 'on.'  I just polled 7 young ladies in my class (I went to the wrong class on accident and I stepped on your foot on accident).  One said, 'it should be 'by,' but she knows that only because her mom is an English teacher and corrects her all the time; another said she says 'by,' but upon further reflection admitted to using 'on.'  The other five just thought I was a weirdo for asking such a silly question--of course they use 'on.'  I don't know where each of them is from, but I am sure most of them are natives.  I think this is one thing we NWers can't blame on California.
Fritz
PS the secong sentence seems more acceptible with 'on.'
>>> pmcgraw at LINFIELD.EDU 01/14/03 03:34PM >>>
--On Tuesday, January 14, 2003 11:44 AM -0800 "A. Maberry"
<maberry at U.WASHINGTON.EDU> wrote:

> On Tue, 14 Jan 2003, David Bergdahl wrote:
>> 2.  My daughter in Seattle writes "people on this coast say 'on accident'
>> instead of 'by accident' which sounds really weird to me. Have I
>> mentioned that to you before? For example, 'I went to the wrong
>> classroom on accident.'" I, personally, have never heard this--is it
>> west coast or just NW?
>> _________________________________________
>
> If I remember correctly this came up a couple of years ago.
> I don't think I've ever heard anyone in Washington or Oregon use "on
> accident" instead of "by accident". On the other hand, so many people have
> moved to the NW especially to Seattle over the 25 years or so, she might
> hear "on accident" regularly--just not from natives.
>
> allen
> maberry at u.washington.edu

I haven't heard it, either, and I think it would have got my attention if I
had.  Yes, maybe it's all them furriners that's been a-movin' up from
California.  Or maybe it's a new usage among the young, and Allen and I
have never heard it because we only talk with troglodytes like ourselves.
(Oops--'scuse me, Allen.  I meant to say, "like MYself.")

Peter Mc.

****************************************************************************
                               Peter A. McGraw
                   Linfield College   *   McMinnville, OR
                            pmcgraw at linfield.edu