On Tomorrow

I am from Rhode Island and we do not use that type of grammar. However, my first time in North Carolina I heard people using that preposition before today, tomorrow, and yesterday. At first I thought it was really weird, but now I've gotten use to it. I have also heard it used regularly in Indiana as well. I don't know what it is.

I'm in St. Louis, MO. I received an email from a Texan today that happens to be an Assist. School Super that used "on tomorrow". I've also noticed a growing missuse of "on" amoungst my co-workers. It drives me nuts. So does the word amoungst by the way.

I'm from Pennsylvania and went to school in Maine. The first time I heard this ridiculous phrase was when I first started working in Houston, Texas. I heard it and cringed. I looked around but everyone else seemed to not notice this horrible phrase. I assumed that the principal, the woman with her PH.D and the leader of our school had made a mistake...

Thank you Ryan!! I was trying to find the right words on how to reply. You did it well and I agree completely that we are not talking about how you speak in the privacy of your own kitchen with your mama.... we are discussing common misuses we hear in the professional environment. I by no means meant to offend anyone or welcome prejudice. I was simply stating my observation that this use of the language is NOT a sign of ignorance but clearly a culturally influenced teaching of improper application. My comment... "otherwise successful" is admittedly misleading and I apologize.

Amy,

Actually, I didn't quote Chaucer. The reference was in the cited passage from Random House, which is signed "Heather." I don't claim a "vast knowledge of the English language’s history," but I do know a little about factual research.

The fact is that the pronunciation of "ask" as "aks" is ancient. It predates the discovery of America. And as such, it is not a "southern thing," as you point out. But it is not a "black thing" either. It is a relatively common variant which crosses social and cultural boundaries.

The point I was trying to make is this: non-standard English is not the same as sub-standard English. Simply that.

I've lived in Virginia my whole life and have only heard one person say "on tomorrow" and "on yesterday." I'm pretty sure she says these things because she's an idiot. She also asks for an "ink pen" rather than just a pen, as if I was going to hand her a pen filled with something other than ink. This is also a woman who doesn't know the difference between atmosphere and hemisphere.

I live in Virginia and I only heard one person say it. It drove me nuts. He worked with me and he passed away. I went to his funeral; his sister is a preacher and she said it during the eulogy. He is from Virginia also but I have never heard anyone say this besides him and his family. It makes me cringe everytime I think about it.

I thought "on tomorrow" only drove me crazy. Everytime I mention it at work, people didn't see a problem with it. Scary. But the same people who did not see a problem with it are the same ones who will add an S to everything. For example: Walmarts, Kmarts, checkings, etc.....

Tomorrow is NOT and adverb. Even it to-morrow or to morrow was once separated - it has now been combined into one word. The one word is tomorrow, a noun. "On tomorrow" is a prepositional phrase. Is "on" needed? No. Is it incorrect to use it? No. If today is Friday and I say "let's meet on Saturday" it is the same as saying "let's meet on tomorrow". I could also say "let's meet Saturday" or "let's meet tomorrow". It may sound funny to some of you but it IS correct. "On tomorrow we will discuss World History 1600 - 1650. On the next day, we will discuss World History 1650-1700. On Monday we will not have class" - On (insert time placeholder) something will happen." There is nothing wrong.

Along similar lines, hearing "aks" and "maff" (math) from teachers makes me cringe every time.I won't even get into spelling.

The phrase in brackets means that "she is black and was educated at Lane college."

Which part bothers you? Is it he fact that she is black or that she was educated at Lane college?

This morning, she used the phrase "who attended the book fair on last night."

@Red you must be mistaken. If you would have read the entire feed before making a "judgment call" you would realize that the conversation turned very racist. The fact that you were not offended is a problem. Racism DOES exist and it does you no good to try to bury it. Take a look at the following comments:
*****It is not a "Southern thing"; however, it is a Southern African-American thing! I have had three black principals who all use this expression. Many of my black co-workers also use this phrase.*****
*****I agree with Ryan.... I just didn't want to offend anyone... but now that someone else said it... :) It is a black thing. And it is predominantly heard by otherwise successful black people. It is annoying and I hear it daily*****
****He is of African-American decent. It is a Southern Black thing. It is incorrect.****

Do your research. It has been turned into a racist discussion. Racism will never die and until you wake up and acknowledge it, all you are going to do is piss a lot of people off. The ONLY way to resolve an issue is to address it. Maybe you should spend your time working on a college education and only then should you come back and post. My comments, as stated in my previous post, were only meant for those who decided to discredit an entire race based on a few people they have seen. You should take your time, sound it out and read it again.

There is a lot of racism here. Why do you think that white usage is superior to black usage? I assume that many of you also think that ignorant people eat fried chicken and watermelon.

I have heard it many times. Only by certain groups of people though. I live in TN. It's painful to my ears whenever I hear it and painful to my eyes when I see it written.

I am in Beaumont, Texas...SETX. I hear "on tomorrow" all the time!!! I am so tired of it because it is repeated daily. My child is hearing this and gets confused because the principal uses it in the announcements and I am telling her it is wrong. Geez!!!

I am from the south, and this bothers me to no end also. I am glad to see it is not just me annoyed by it.
http://musingsandvisuals.blogspot.com/2011/03/proper-english-on-tomorrow.html

I am very excited this is a topic that concerns people. I am from Memphis, TN but now live in Dallas, TX and hear "on tomorrow" everywhere I go. I don't recall ever hearing it in college (Knoxville, TN) or in Memphis. However, as an educator, I hear it in the schools,church, conferences, meetings, etc. Drives me crazy!!! Judging by this string, it's not a regional thing; it's a matter of an appropriate education! No matter where you're from, NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, or WEST, you will find people who use incorrect grammar on a daily basis; educated & non-educated. Maybe we should correct those who use it...all races, cultures, & regional dwellers. As for those of you who are trying to make this ONE more thing to add to the "it's a black thing list" get the speck out of your own eye first, pay attention, and re-evaluate your thoughts.

I googled "on tomorrow" because it was driving me insane. I am originally from Northeast Georgia and I have returned after spending 10 years in Arizona. I have two co-workers sitting next to me setting appointments "on tomorrow" and rescheduling appointments that were to have happened "on Yesterday".

The use of the word is not related to Southern dialect but is specific to African American southerners.

I grew up in Atlanta suburbs and I first heard "On tomorrow" in middle school, from an English teacher. I argued with her until I turned blue, but could not convince her that it was flat wrong. I continued to hear it from time to time, mostly in school from educated southern African-Americans, and as the phenomenon continued, I started hearing other people also using the term. As far as I can tell, it's an invasion of the language that is abhorrent, and as Catrice said, I just want it to stop!
I don't think it is something that is only taught to "Black people only". but I think it is mostly those who are picking it up from the educated black educators.

Douglas,
Please go back and reread my comment... I did not suggest that "aks" or "on tomorrow" are a Southern thing... I specifically said they are NOT a Southern thing. And my comments mostly pertain to the "on tomorrow" more than they do the "aks" issue since that is what this thread was originally about. I am aware that both of these actually derived from Old English... but it is just that... Old English - not standard and in my opinion (which we are all entitled to) is not a professional use or pronunciation.

Amy,

What I said was "And as such, it is not a 'southern thing,' as you point out." In other words, I acknowledged that you pointed out that "aks" is not a southernism. Perhaps I could have been clearer.

I recently moved from the Midwest to Georgia where "on" is used before "tomorrow" and "today" by just about everyone in the southern region. And I found it is NOT limited to only one race, or the less fortunate. It is spoken and written by my Superiors who hailed from different regions throughout the S.E... I only “Goggled” this information to ensure that I wasn’t the one wrong for not using “on”.

Our [black-educated in Tennessee at Lane College] principal uses the phrases "on yesterday," "on today" and "on tomorrow" CONSTANTLY, especially on the intercom during morning announcements. This is the first person that I have ever heard do so. Everyone is afraid of her except me, but I don't feel like going to the mat on this one. I will let her continue to show what I consider to be poor grammar. To me, it reflects her upbringing and presents a bad first impression. Of course, at our school, her grammar is much better than about 30% of the teachers.

Joy Clark, I also hate being "axed a question." It's so painful! ;) Seriously though, that is also a black or African-American pronunciation, although I knew a teacher from the Virgin Islands who also axed questions too.

Thank God, I am not the only one to be annoyed by " on tomorrow"! I cringe when it is uttered in the pulpit of all places. I do believe that Southeners feel more educated when they kill the English language. And yes, I am a Yankee!

It's heard here in Louisiana particularly among African-Americans. I'm from the northeast and had never heard it until moving here. Grates on my grammar nerves, but I generally just leave it alone. I've given up correcting the incorrectness here a long time ago.

I'd never heard this expression before, but I think it's a little bit beautiful. I might try it out some time.

One more reflection here:

Sadly, are many stereotypes that prevail about all of us. Some perpetuated by media others by fear.
I am multiracial/multi ethnic- Creole (African, American, and French) and Eastern European Jewish And grew up in several regions of the United States including the east, midwest, and south.
Colloquialism is not bound to race, class, gender, or geography.
Xenophobia and fears of diversity can arise in many forms

My southern mother and east cost grandparents were raised with the value of knowing "proper" English as an asset, to be viewed as educated, or "learn-ed" and as a way to not be trapped forever in a life of poverty and struggle. They passed on this value to me. So they raised me to not use you plural aka "Yous". They also raised to embrace diversity, they never put down other colloquialism but recognized privilege in our country, that speaking in a certain standardized dialect would you to get through doors for employment and education.

I have heard "on tomorrow," "on yesterday," and "on today" so much from my principal that I want to bonk him on the head every time he says one of those phrases. He also uses them in emails on a regular basis. I never heard anyone do this until he arrived at our school a couple of years ago, but now some of the teachers are starting to do it too. It's getting on my nerves, but it's hard to say something to colleagues and higher-ups about such a matter.

It's very interesting that this thread has continued over such a long period of time. The use of "on" before tomorrow or yesterday irritates me to no end. As a 41 year old Black person with family of southern descent (not decent), I can say that this is not a term taught to or used mostly by this group. I had never heard the term until recent years, and it certainly is not used in my family by dentists, lawyers, judges, teachers, office workers, secretaries, or anyone else.

As an employee of a federal agency, I work with people from all over the country. Most recently, I have heard this term used by a white woman from Michigan. She always says things like, "I will check in with you on tomorrow and see where we are." My grandmother, who was raised in the Chicago suburbs by her southern parents, had never heard the phrase until recently. She says the secretary (white) at her doctor's office uses it. I have begun to hear the term more and more (from people of various races). I assumed it was a regional dialect. It's annoying to me no matter who says it or where they are from...But I am also annoyed by "ax" or "ass" rather than "asK", "yous" rather than "you", and the use of prepositions at the end of a sentence.

"We will have a staff meeting tomorrow" is just as bad a thing to hear as "We will have a staff meeting on tomorrow". Firstly, it should be "We shall have ..." and secondly, who would want to go a staff meeting?

I'm so tired of hearing this phrase. As a medical transcriptionist/editor of 20+ years, it's wrong and I refuse to transcribe it and I always edit it out. These are educated doctors/nurses, etc. using it. It's like nails screeching on a chalkboard to my ears. I was born and raised in New Orleans and have lived here all my life. I have never come across it until the last few years or so. It's not a "black" thing and it's not a "southern" thing and shame on anyone for thinking that. I get so tired of people referring to those "stupid folks from the south" too. Just so you know, I'm white, I'm educated and I'm not stoopid! So please drop the "on tomorrow!"

@AnWulf - there is a growing moving amongst, let me be PC here now, "lower socio-economic status groups" to speak in this manner. Perhaps it first began as improper English derived from a lack of education, but the 'African American Vernacular' has spread like wildfire to the point that it is now almost a "second language". I did not believe this myself until I worked in predominantly "black" schools. I believe speaking with a dialect or accent is a big part of your cultural identity. It can also be charming. For example, even though I am "white" and grew up in the "educated" suburbs of Houston, Texas, my parents still said "y'all" and "fixin' to". I still say those things today and it is a part of my heritage as a Texan. However, we were also taught that this is not proper English at school and should only be used in a less formal setting with your family or friends. When you are at a professional or formal function, using proper English is desire- like on the News, they speak in Standard American English and avoid slang. However, nowadays at my job, people use the vernacular at work around the children. We have a state test that is not written in the vernacular. Children must know standard English to pass this test, and speaking to the children with the vernacular does them a great disservice. However, you can't say anything because everyone will say you are racist.

"After moving from Chicago down to northeastern Georgia, I have noticed an extremely vexing trend among many of the native Southerners" - it really is so vexing when other people don't speak like we do, isn't it? For example, Americans have this strange habit of saying "on weekends", when everyone knows "at weekends" is the correct version. And what's this with "outside of" and "off of" when "outside" and "off" are perfectly good on their own?

I'm being ironic of course. My point is that although you might find somebody else's English strange and illogical, someone somewhere will probably find elements of your English just as strange and illogical. Does it really make all that difference to your life that some people say "on tomorrow", whether it's an ethnic thing, a regional thing, or a fashion thing?

There seems to be an unfortunate element on this and other PITE pages of looking down on people who speak differently from you. It might not come under the banner of racism (although ebonics seems to get mentioned rather a lot), but it's certainly snobbery. In the last few days we've all seen the example of somebody (in Cleveland) who talks a bit "differently" but who is a real hero. Just because people "talk proper" in no way makes them superior to those who don't, just "posher". They just speak the dialect which has more social cachet, that's all. And if they make an issue of it, I'd say quite the opposite. Similarly, when they accuse other people of being 'ignorant' or 'lazy', it is their own ignorance of language structure and historical development they are showing. As somebody once said - "a language is just a dialect with an army and a navy".

I am black, and from the south... so let's get that out the way 1st. Secondly, "on tomorrow" is a phrase that's very commonly used in the south, especially by black people. Most blacks from the west coast or north east rarely used this phrase. .

For the past year, I've been working with a wider group of folks from the company I work for, who are all in the training department. One woman had a habit of saying "on tomorrow, on yesterday, on today," and it puzzled me. It also set my teeth on edge. She currently lives in GA, but has lived in other places in the South as well. She happens to be black.

Recently, another coworker used this construction - I think she's from KY, and she also happens to be black. I started to wonder if this use was racial or regional.

This past week, a new coworker - who lives either in VA or GA, I'm not sure - sent an email expressing concern that she had "missed a lot on last week" while she was waiting for her company laptop to arrive. I don't know what her race is.

Today, my hairdresser - who happens to be black and whose family is from NC - used the "on tomorrow" phrase. I just had to see if there was anything on the web about this, and here I am.

It would seem, from the comments here, that this may be a combination of regional and racial habit, with exceptions - not everyone from the region uses it, and not every black person from the region uses it. (Just like not every New Englander says "wicked" to mean "very," though it is fun to take part in my own area's regionalisms - ayuh.)

In professional writing, I agree that standard English is the way to go.

Thanks for the various observations on this particular phraseology.

I live in South Carolina and my son's 4th grade teacher yes I said (TEACHER) uses this in e-mails to us parents all the time. It drives me nuts, because it is wrong, wrong, wrong. How do I correct her or do I just leave it. I am from South Africa where we have been taught to speak English properly. I can’t tell you how many phrases drive me up the wall her in the South but this one tops them all.

I've lived in Alabama for 20 years and only started noticing it in the past few months from a coworker in Texas. I may have tuned it out before, but I swear I just started hearing it for the first time time my life. 100% of the handful of users who have used it have been African-American, for whatever it's worth. I don't consider this to be any kind of racially-charged Ebonics issues (like "axe" vs "ask"), just a cultural nuance. It's akin to "where do you stay?" for "where do you live?" I have never heard a white person use that expression, but I fully accept it as an alternative and have even used back at people as an alternative term. Language is a rich and living thing, and unless there is a flagrant grammatical issue, I usually adapt more than I try to correct.

With all respect to the people posting on this page, I simply don't understand why everyone is so upset with a use of English that they deem "incorrect" simply because it has not fallen within their personal experience of the language. The differences which exist between a mid-west, Boston, Texan, Australian, Canadian, or Nigerian English are simply dialectical, are part of the geographical nuances of English (which nuances exist in any and all languages), and therefore should not be considered, as one person has said, "wrong, wrong, wrong".

To continue ... The most prevalent attitudes expressed on this page towards the varying and uses of the English language are not the attitudes of enlightened intellectuals who are committed to listening to and learning from the many communities around them, but rather the attitudes of stuffy, outdated cartographers attempting to justify the use of their outdated maps. I am not trying to tell you what to do, I'm just telling you how I feel. Would anyone be able to explain to me why the nit-picking of dialectical English found on this page is in any way constructive, or are we just trying to vent our repressed rage at those who will not conform to our prescriptive grammar? I would honestly like to know. Thank you all.

I am 29 from North Jersey and college educated. I too cringe when I hear "on tomorrow". There was a time when I only heard it while visiting the South but it is spreading. I just heard a NY politician use it twice on television.

To anyone who has a problem with their principal: It is NOT your place to ever correct the grammar of your superior at work. "On tomorrow" is not something learned in school, obviously it is picked at home. Most people I confront really do not notice their error and are terribly embarrassed.

To say that this is exclusive to Black people might sound a little racist but it is unfortunately true. I feel embarrassed when other Black people jack up English in front of White people. After reading all of your comments my worst fears have been confirmed. You guys hear a black person speak a little differently and automatically assume we've had a subpar education. Smh! Even if the person is your boss, you still question their intellect! Sad.

Teachers! : While it is highly inappropriate to correct a colleague it is Your job to properly educate your students. Teach them! This is exactly why HBCUs are so important. White "teachers" giving up on their Black students grammar??? Allow me to insert another Black colloquialism here, "where they do that at?" Shame! You may not have to take an oath like a doctor but you too have a duty, to educate!

I will no longer roll my eyes when I hear Black people say "on tomorrow" or "axe". I will correct them at the appropriate time. Now, which of you is going to teach my landscaper to stop saying "yous"? ! That's an uneducated white Jersey thing, right? ?

I'm a school teacher in Macon, Ga. I had never heard the usage of the preposition "on" in this context until I started teaching at an inner-city school. My principal, vice-principal, academic coach, and the superintendent of school all use this vernacular. It is very common in the educated African American community of middle Georgia. It drives me nuts. It changes an adverb into the noun of a prepositional phrase modifying a verb. If I had hair, I'd pull it out.

You folks obviously need a life...as if anyone of you is the authority on language! It's amazing the types of difference people will use to ego trip. As if anyone's "English" here isn't a derivative of some other, older English...get a life! Do you have any idea how many standards of English exist on this Earth--primarily because of how language was exacted throughout history?! Skin color, eye color, hair color, skin texture, height, origin--folks find any reason to try and make themselves feel better than someone else. You folks are sick. When that ghastly-colored, wrong-eye-color-having, wrong-height, super-bonics-speaking scientist makes a life-saving drug that you need...I bet your snobbish asses will drink every last drop! It's better to unite than to divide.

I'm thinking it is a trend, actually. I have lived in the south all my life and never heard it until the last few years. It drives me crazy

I've only heard it once since I moved to Baltimore, and it was from a woman from South Carolina. Never before have I heard the phrase.

I do have to admit that I love hearing regional dialects. It makes me glad I do not live in that region.

I think is comes from the old saying "on the morrow" and over the years became on tomorrow. I'm from the west coast and was perplexed to hear "on tomorrow" stated on the news, in board meetings, and even by an english teacher during a course.

I live in southern Louisiana and had never heard this type of usage until I started listening to the people from Mississippi, quite a number of them, who come here. They say "on yesterday" and even "on today", which are awkward, ungainly, unnecessary, and redundant phrases. But no one here in LA says these things. It's only the people from Mississippi.

I am so glad to see this string. The many emails I get with this term are driving me crazy. I just got one that said, "She sent me the message on yesterday." I want to write back and say "do you mean she sent you the message yesterday". Would that be awful? Any other suggestions other than to just grin and bear it? It made me so frustruated that I looked up this string while at work!!! Incidentally, the term is used by my African-American colleagues mostly in Mississippi.

Pebbles--Just a minor comment on one of the terms you used, "higher-ups". It should actually be "highers-up". Check out the discussion entitled "Someone else's" and look at the comments about the plural of "passer-by".

I work in Memphis. There are a few people at my work that use "on tomorrow," "on yesterday," and "on today". I am also one that chringes when ever I hear it. The Memphis Public Schools must be teaching this. I went to a private school in Memphis and never heard this used until just a few years ago. As far as the African American southerner part, that may be correct. They are the only ones that I have heard use it.

Shaune has my total agreement: it is refreshing to read that I am not alone in wanting to strike people who commit such atrocities upon the English language as to use "action" as a verb. For years I had a boss who had made his way to England from the colonies, who always wanted to "action" things, and "farewell" people. ( In my case he eventually did. ) Of course we all mocked him for these examples, but the one which gives me the greatest annoyance these days is used by so many people that I dare not laugh: people who go about "sourcing" things. Source is not a verb. It comes from "surgo" in Latin, to rise, and is not transitive. "Soudre" in French, too, is a verb, and it means to spring forth, also not transitive. You cannot source a thing. Source is a noun. "It sourced in Africa" sounds all wrong, because it is, (intransitive) but "I sourced it in Africa" (transitive) is even more horrible, I reckon. "Its source is in Africa" is an odd way of saying "It comes from Africa", but at least it is grammatical. But there is no need whatever to coin a new word for "find a supplier" or whatever these folk think they mean when they talk about "sourcing" things.
I thought all these grammatical and linguistic horrors came from American English, but I see from the comments throughout this site that I was wrong. The British seem not to care at all about what is happening to the English language; Americans do. Keep up the good work!!

OED is describing an ugly use of the word "source" because it has accepted that it is in common currency. The examples you give are exactly what I mean.

Each type of coffee is/comes from one country. She was called upon to find a supply/supplier of carpeting.

What next? "He doored it" = He left by the door. "She windowed" = "She opened the window. Is "We railroaded it to Chicago" the same as "we went by train"? We automobiled it to Chicago. He treed his golf ball. Cleopatra was carpeted to Caesar.

Okay, so I was carpeted by the boss a few times, and it was nothing like Cleopatra's experience.

retired teacher