this post was submitted on 01 Apr 2026
459 points (99.4% liked)
Mildly Interesting
25952 readers
937 users here now
This is for strictly mildly interesting material. If it's too interesting, it doesn't belong. If it's not interesting, it doesn't belong.
This is obviously an objective criteria, so the mods are always right. Or maybe mildly right? Ahh.. what do we know?
Just post some stuff and don't spam.
founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
Is there a difference in tone or meaning between accidentally and inadvertently? I feel like accidentally means they did something that was a bad thing.
Hmm not necessarily, accidentally has no negative implication unlike accident usually has. In this particular case the meaning of accidentally is synonym with unexpectedly or by chance.
My question was a bit rhetorical. In my opinion there is a negative connotation to accidentally in this case as well. I would personally use a different word. 👍
I agree it seems a strange choice of words.
Something like that seems more straightforward.
I think “inadvertently” fits in that it isn’t what they were intending to do.
“Accidentally” feels sorta judgy.
Yeah. “It was an accident” sounds like pleading, excusing. “I inadvertently…” sounds like an explanation of the facts. imo
They accidentally became climate change wackos supporting a communist agenda to make everyone gay and push taxes supporting public transportation.
Mr Bob Ross would like a word...
I agree with you on inadvertently, but accident, if I'm not mistaken would generally considered something where you do not inherently attribute blame. At least thats what I recall being justification for making the change in UK in calling traffic 'incidents' incidents instead of accidents several years back. Dunno if it stuck though.
Interesting. Although I still maintain that accident bears a negative connotation, even though blame isn't necessarily a factor. As if the outcome was a negative thing, rather than a positive, as in this case.
Wait is that real? I thought it was just a joke when it was said in Hot Fuzz
tbf it was played straight in Hot Fuzz, Sgt. Angel was right and there was somebody who caused it.
I agree, but I think here "accidentally" is used in an ironic manner because this is of course not actually a bad thing.
Depends on who you ask.
I'm asking someone who has insight 😅