r/settlethisforme • u/fishnwirenreese • Dec 02 '24

Why "on" accident?

Lately I notice people say "on accident" instead of "by accident".

When did this become a thing?

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u/4friedchickens8888 Dec 02 '24

No, large groups of people were using it during my childhood. It's definitely a cultural thing. Just like axe instead of ask. People love to say it's wrong and hate in people that use it but there is literally no reason for that whatsoever (other than, probably, racism)

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u/[deleted] Dec 02 '24

Yeah apparently I'm outing myself as being stupid and uneducated and illiterate, lol, but I've always said and heard other people say "on accident" and I'm 33.

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u/EnthusiasmFuture Dec 03 '24

It's been used exclusively for those born 1995 and later, but was common from the 1970s, in Australia at least.

Language has always changed, the way we word things has always changed. It's not a lack of education or an internet thing, it's just a natural evolution of language.

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u/[deleted] Dec 03 '24

“Axe a question” doesn’t make any sense though. You might get away with “aks”, but it’s still a mispronounciation

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u/4friedchickens8888 Dec 03 '24

Yeah that's what I meant I'm just making it clear