# When Did "On Tomorrow" Become a Thing (Language Use) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 7, 2023, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-on-tomorrow-become-a-thing-language-use/986715 "2023-07-07T05:20:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-on-tomorrow-become-a-thing-language-use/986715/21 "2023-07-07T12:51:25Z")
> [@MrAtoz](#): > > “On accident” is interesting. It’s not the traditional usage, and sounds strange to my ear. And yet, it is precisely parallel to “on purpose,” so why shouldn’t it be correct? Again that’s the difference between “comports with standard grammar” and “is a common idiomatic phrase”. Within standard US English, “on accident” is grammatical. But it isn’t idiomatic. Yet. Except in some regional areas where ISTM it’s pretty well-established and commonplace. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-on-tomorrow-become-a-thing-language-use/986715/22 "2023-07-07T13:23:45Z")
Huh, this is the first I’ve ever heard that “on accident” is nonstandard. Clevelander with western PA roots, in case region is relevant. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-on-tomorrow-become-a-thing-language-use/986715/23 "2023-07-07T13:39:47Z")
On Monday, If you asked “Will the upgrade be installed on Wednesday?” I might answer “It will be installed on tomorrow.”, intentionally using this nonsense expression. And then I might see that quizzical look on your face for a moment until you think to yourself “Oh, it’s just TriPolar talking weird again” and forget about it. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-on-tomorrow-become-a-thing-language-use/986715/24 "2023-07-07T13:46:09Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Clevelander with western PA roots, in case region is relevant. You probably use “anymore” in that [weird Ohio way](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positive_anymore), too. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-on-tomorrow-become-a-thing-language-use/986715/25 "2023-07-07T13:51:32Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > As to the OP’s contention it’d be interesting to know where on Earth he lives. I _think_ he’s a USAian. And whether he’s hearing this from oldsters, youngsters, or furriners. I’m an American living in Arkansas. The first people I noticed this 3-4 years ago from some of my younger African American coworkers who were in their twenties. At first I chalked it up to just an odd affectation of one person, and then maybe something that was limited to my office, but then I’ve heard other people outside of work use the phrases as well which got me thinking. Was this something I’ve heard all my life and only now noticed? Language does change, is this simply new? ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-on-tomorrow-become-a-thing-language-use/986715/26 "2023-07-07T13:54:12Z")
Everyone around me (western Pennsylvania) stands _in line_, but I occasionally hear New York people say they stand _on line_, which sounds totally crazy to me. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-on-tomorrow-become-a-thing-language-use/986715/27 "2023-07-07T13:55:39Z")
“On accident” is common here (Chicago) , but I’d consider it non-standard vs “by accident.” “On tomorrow” I’ve never heard. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-on-tomorrow-become-a-thing-language-use/986715/28 "2023-07-07T14:05:50Z")
> [@alovem](#): > > “At the weekend” is standard UK English. There, that should be clear enough for **anyone** to understand. Probably worth also mentioning that ‘ **on** the weekend’ is also common in UK English. UK ‘standards’ are a bit unstandardised like that; e.g: USA: ‘Skeptic’ - UK: ‘Sceptic’ **or** ‘Skeptic’ USA: ‘Organize’ - UK: ‘Organise’ **or** ‘Organize’ ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-on-tomorrow-become-a-thing-language-use/986715/29 "2023-07-07T14:10:44Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > On Monday, If you asked “Will the upgrade be installed on Wednesday?” I might answer “It will be installed on tomorrow.”, intentionally using this nonsense expression. And then I might see that quizzical look on your face for a moment until you think to yourself “Oh, it’s just TriPolar talking weird again” and forget about it. Yeah, I could see people using the ‘on tomorrow’ thing as an affectation, much like ‘I was today years old when I learned…’ ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-on-tomorrow-become-a-thing-language-use/986715/30 "2023-07-07T14:14:55Z")
> [@RitterSport](#): > > You probably use “anymore” in that [weird Ohio way](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Positive_anymore), too. Nope, that construction is unfamiliar to me. > [@pulykamell](#): > > “On accident” is common here (Chicago) , but I’d consider it non-standard vs “by accident.” To me, “on accident” and “by accident” have slightly different meanings. “By accident” is more likely to refer to an outcome that, while not planned or expected, was nonetheless good. “On accident” is more likely to be a bad outcome. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-on-tomorrow-become-a-thing-language-use/986715/31 "2023-07-07T14:17:28Z")
I can’t remember ever encountering “on tomorrow” before this thread. If I heard someone say it, I’d suspect an explanation like what **solost** described, especially if there were any discernable pause between the two words. > [@solost](#): > > she was going to say that we could do something on a certain day, like “on Thursday”, then realized mid-statement that the day was actually the following day and it came out “on tomorrow” ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-on-tomorrow-become-a-thing-language-use/986715/32 "2023-07-07T16:21:21Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > Probably worth also mentioning that ‘ **on** the weekend’ is also common in UK English. UK ‘standards’ are a bit unstandardised like that; e.g: > USA: ‘Skeptic’ - UK: ‘Sceptic’ **or** ‘Skeptic’ > USA: ‘Organize’ - UK: ‘Organise’ **or** ‘Organize’ Hey! We’re inclusive here. What more can I say? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-on-tomorrow-become-a-thing-language-use/986715/33 "2023-07-07T16:25:45Z")
Could someone please use the phrase ‘on accident’ in a sentence? With some meaningful context of course. I don’t recall ever hearing this. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-on-tomorrow-become-a-thing-language-use/986715/34 "2023-07-07T16:30:22Z")
“Your kid hit my car with the shopping cart!” “I’m sorry … I’m sure he did it on accident. He was trying to help me by putting the cart away and it got away from him.” … In local dialects (SE Louisiana), “on accident” and “by accident” are completely interchangeable. “On accident” is commonly heard around here, and has been at least back to my grandparents’ generation (born ~1900). ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-on-tomorrow-become-a-thing-language-use/986715/35 "2023-07-07T16:30:42Z")
I’ve never heard “on accident” but it could be a mash-up of “on purpose” and “by accident” that caught on. Or got by. ---
**Author:** ![peedin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peedin/32/14095_2.png) [@peedin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peedin)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-on-tomorrow-become-a-thing-language-use/986715/36 "2023-07-07T16:32:16Z")
Outside Chicago. I’ve never heard this. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-on-tomorrow-become-a-thing-language-use/986715/37 "2023-07-07T16:34:18Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > I’m an American living in Arkansas. **The first people I noticed this 3-4 years ago from some of my younger African American coworkers who were in their twenties**. At first I chalked it up to just an odd affectation of one person, and then maybe something that was limited to my office, but then I’ve heard other people outside of work use the phrases as well which got me thinking. Was this something I’ve heard all my life and only now noticed? Language does change, is this simply new? I think some of the Americans in this thread might be dancing around this point a little bit – around here, use of “on tomorrow” is strongly correlated with local dialects of African-American Vernacular English. No judgment should be implied. I don’t know if this use of “on tomorrow” is a _new_ thing, exactly … but I have no recollection of the various adult African Americans of my acquaintance in the 1970s & 1980s saying “on tomorrow”. As above, this would be in the New Orleans metro area. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-on-tomorrow-become-a-thing-language-use/986715/38 "2023-07-07T16:50:12Z")
> [@bordelond](#): > > In local dialects (SE Louisiana), “on accident” and “by accident” are completely interchangeable. “On accident” is commonly heard around here, and has been at least back to my grandparents’ generation (born ~1900). Ok, so no difference in meaning. > [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > I’ve never heard “on accident” but it could be a mash-up of “on purpose” and “by accident” that caught on. Or got by. Makes sense. If something can be ‘on purpose’ then something can be ‘on accident’ also. The use of ‘on’ and ‘by’ are so exclusively associated with ‘purpose’ and ‘accident’ it sounds odd when they are interchanged. ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-on-tomorrow-become-a-thing-language-use/986715/39 "2023-07-07T16:57:22Z")
I will add that, locally, “by purpose” (to mean “purposefully, intentionally”) is never heard. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2023, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-on-tomorrow-become-a-thing-language-use/986715/40 "2023-07-07T16:58:01Z")
I encounter “on accident” in the wild fairly regularly. I think of it as common both in the South (ref @bordelond) and in Ohio / Pennsylvania / Indiana dialect. So the old “Midwest” from before the USA got past the Misssissippi. ETA: Seconding @bordelond just above that throughout my national travels, I’ve never encountered “by purpose”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-on-tomorrow-become-a-thing-language-use/986715.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-on-tomorrow-become-a-thing-language-use/986715.md?page=3)