Diving into evening work, hopefully with something to show for it for you folks soon.
Question before I go:
We all have grammatical gripes... but what's a grammatical "error" that you find pretty darned cute or satisfying, even if you wouldn't use it yourself?
I heard someone say "on accident" today, and to me it just sounded adorable. Maybe because it's nonstandard usage unwittingly used *by* accident around that same phrase?
What linguistic bastard child is *your* cutie-patootie of choice?
@MLClark I love how in the USA people say they're going to "The hospital" as if there's only the one! 🤣
@stueytheround
It does have a poetry to it in that longer form, doesn't it? :)
But you've struck upon a real mystery, apparently! No one knows why the New World went one way with the term, while the Old World stayed the course.
Possibly two terms just "melded" in common usage over time, even if they don't make as much sense as one.
Either way, at least this merger's not as bad as "irregardless" (shudder).
https://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2006/11/why-do-americans-say-horseback-riding.html