ABOUT-WORDS-L Archives

From: <>
Subject: On or by
Date: Tue, 4 May 2004 13:36:39 -0400

Since we moved to New Orleans I have heard many regionalisms that I let go as being being acceptable forms of speech. My kids call all soft drinks Cokes or Cold Drinks instead of soda or pop. People here say that they are going to make groceries when they are going to go grocery shopping. People say Ya'll instead of yous or yuns as we did in Ohio. One phrase bothers me though because I can't explain it away. Here, as in Ohio, things are done "on purpose" but, unlike Ohiospeak, they can also be done "on accident". In Ohio we would say that it was done "by accident". Nothing that I know of is ever done "by purpose" though.

Does anyone know how or why this came about? It seems logical to me that on purpose and on accident should be appropriate. Conversely by purpose and by accident also should be.

Bill (Roger Hill is still missing)

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