"On accident"

[Joel Rini]

----------------------------Original message----------------------------
At 10:10 PM -0400 5/14/01, Chad D. Nilep wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>A colleague who is not on the list asked me to forward the following query.
>
>In the western USA, it is not uncommon to hear the phrase "on accident," as
>in:
>
>     I took his book on accident. I thought it was mine.
>
>This form seems to replace the phrase "by accident" by analogy to the phrase
>"on purpose." Preliminary research indicates the following results.
>
>A. No speakers over the age of 34 report using "on accident." Many of these
>speakers regard the form as uneducated and non-standard.
>
>B. Most speakers below the age of 34 use "on accident" and consider "by
>accident" formal or old-fashioned.
>
>C. A few speakers from the central US (notably Kansas and Missouri) use both
>"on accident" and "by accident." For these speakers, "on accident" is
>considered "more accidental."
>
>These data are based primarily on speakers from the western US and western
>Canada. One respondent from Massachusets and one respondent from New Zealand
>fall within the parameters of other respondents.
>
>Have others noticed the use of "on accident" and "by accident"? Could you
>please respond with your geographical location and approximate age. Any
>related comments or analysis would also be welcome.
>
>I will post a summary to the list if there is sufficient interest.
>--
>Chad D. Nilep
>American Language and Culture Program
>University of Idaho
>nilep at turbonet.com

I have noticed that my son, Marcus Rini, age nine, consistently says "on
accident".  He lives with us in Charlottesville, VA, where he has lived all
his life, though his speech, in general, would not be considered
"Virginian", rather, mid-western (parents from Michigan and Ohio).  In
fact, the only "southern" feature that he has picked up is the local
pronunciation of "aunt", i.e., not homophonous with "ant").

I do believe it is analogical (in the strictest sense, i.e., proportional)
to "on purpose", the phrases being semantic opposites (although the words
purpose and accident are not really antonyms), thus:

purpose : on purpose :: accident : X = (on accident)

He has also similarly created "long-cut", most likely as follows:

short : short-cut :: long : X = (long-cut), meaning "the long way".

Another example of analogy of semantic opposites in this area (provided by
his friend) is the following:

out : sold out :: in : X = ("sold in"), referring to tickets for a movie
that were still available.

I cannot say that I have heard adults in the area use "on accident",
certainly not "sold in", nor "long-cut", but then again I haven't actively
listened for them in adult speech.

Joel Rini, Professor of Spanish Linguistics
Chairman of Spanish, Italian & Portuguese
115 Wilson Hall
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, VA 22903