Re: Just asking!

[Dan BRINEGAR <vr2link -at- VR2LINK -dot- COM>]

I believe it was Bob Medinger who asked around the 1st of June:

>....has anyone heard the phrase "on accident"? My kids
>are using it to replace "by accident", and it drives me completely nuts.
>I have also heard some younger college grads using the same expression.
>Is this a new, evolving phrase or what?
>
>Just asking!

I *just* heard what I think may be the source of this curious
contruction... and am at risk of  continuing a mostly off-topic thread (but
an interested observation on the development of language -- UN*X Geek
grammar and phrasing differs from DOS Drone grammar and phrasing -- there
appears to be school and mommy grammar too....I'm making this up as I go,
so stop me when you get bored <smirk>).

MOMMY: "Did you do that on purpose?"
MUNCHKIN [pretending there are no pencil shavings in the salad]: "Nuh-uhh,
on axe-idents." (things happen  purposefully, or accidentally)
MOMMY" "There are no accidents, Baby... you were sharpening your pencils
when I told you to help clear the table for dinner; so it happened on
purpose."

Mommy, a teacher no-less, automatically corrected Munchkin's behavioral
worldview, and not her grammar... we grew up seeing TV ridiclule anyone who
automatically corrected someone on their grammar... *our* parents would
have corrected our grammar and *then* lectured us on our behavioral
worldview...  It must have something to do with us cuspers[1] feeling so
pressured for time.

Is this how *all* language changes?

<smile>

[1] People born after 1960, but before 1970: we're Thirty-something now,
and were Twenty-something *then* and are both bitter[2] about Yuppie-dom,
and worried-to-death about those GenX'ers who will *never* grow up....

[2] Never got to be hippies and were already grown-ups before we could
start working on personal computers... we missed out on *everything*!

[3] ... Unresolved footnote, System reboot.

-----------------------------------------------------------
Dan BRINEGAR  Information Developer/Research Droid/Mac Guy

http://vr2link.com/ <--- Under Construction

I'm *not* a nerd: there were no pocket calculators when I was in
Junior High...What few people I've met that could have
possibly been nerds  at one time are now old enough to have attained
guru status and don't really count..

vr2link -at- vr2link -dot- com

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