Query: "on accident"

[Chris F Waigl]

Quoting sagehen <sagehen at WESTELCOM.COM>:

> [Gerald Cohen asked]
> >Today I was asked about the phrase "on accident" by a mother whose three
> >grown children (in their twenties)  use it rather than "by accident."  Is
> >this a regionalism? Is it a feature of the younger generation?
> ~~~~~~~~~~~
> In contrast to "on purpose"?
> I don't think I've heard anyone say this, but I wouldn't find it surprising
> in a very young child's speech.

And the contrast goes both ways:

----
He sent for these three men, and said to them, "O Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abed-nego, was it by purpose that you did not fall down and worship the image
of gold?
<http://www.mainlesson.com/display.php?author=hurlbut&book=bible&story=furnace>
----
Do all you TELUS m0f0's speak like this by purpose to confuse the
telco phreaker/enthusiasts?
<http://www.hackcanada.com/canadian/phreaking/gc_dima.txt>
----
Did you never got in the big vacuum behind a pulk of support cars and motorbikes
and did you never were chased by the pulk in the famous last mile while doing a
solo for the win? I don't say Mattan did it by purpose.
[This writer indicates s/he is located in Arizona.]
<http://ww2.olntv.com/olnbb/viewtopic.php?t=2159&start=10&>
----

(Lots of instances of "by purpose" on free software mailing lists, but mostly
from German speakers. Which is a bit strange, given that in German, the
preposition is "mit" (with).)

Chris Waigl

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