Refers to a fallacy of logic in argument, specifically one of the Fallacies of Relevance. The debater using Accident leaves out important parts of the argument.
Example:
"What you bought yesterday, you eat today; you bought raw meat yesterday; therefore, you eat raw meat today."
Compare Converse Accident.
The act of being murdered or assaulted after a threat or warning. "Mister, a lotta gheese (men) that don't pay off have accidents happen to them."

- american underworld lingo - 1950

A nice way of saying that you've soiled your pants.

A logical fallacy in generalization where a generalization is applied when an exception should be made. People who do this are usually called anal or anal retentive.

Example: "Even though your sister was having a baby in the back seat, you shouldn't exceed the speed limit."

To prove the fallacy, state the generalization, show that it's not universal, and then show how the circumstances indicate that an exception should be made.

The word accident is Australian slang for an unplanned pregnancy, and the result of that pregnancy. One might hear in an Aussie pub, "yeah, mate, I was definitely an accident".

Ac"ci*dent (#), n. [F. accident, fr. L. accidens, -dentis, p. pr. of accidere to happen; ad + cadere to fall. See Cadence, Case.]

1.

Literally, a befalling; an event that takes place without one's foresight or expectation; an undesigned, sudden, and unexpected event; chance; contingency; often, an undesigned and unforeseen occurrence of an afflictive or unfortunate character; a casualty; a mishap; as, to die by an accident.

Of moving accidents by flood and field. Shak.

Thou cam'st not to thy place by accident: It is the very place God meant for thee. Trench.

2. Gram.

A property attached to a word, but not essential to it, as gender, number, case.

3. Her.

A point or mark which may be retained or omitted in a coat of arms.

4. Log. (a)

A property or quality of a thing which is not essential to it, as whiteness in paper; an attribute.

(b)

A quality or attribute in distinction from the substance, as sweetness, softness.

5.

Any accidental property, fact, or relation; an accidental or nonessential; as, beauty is an accident.

This accident, as I call it, of Athens being situated some miles from the sea. J. P. Mahaffy.

6.

Unusual appearance or effect.

[Obs.]

Chaucer.

Accident, in Law, is equivalent to casus, or such unforeseen, extraordinary, extraneous interference as is out of the range of ordinary calculation.

 

© Webster 1913.

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