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On the weekend or at the weekend

21 replies

Ridingthegravytrain · 05/06/2024 18:16

Which is correct? Or can either be used? I always say at the weekend and it annoys me when my kids say on. I feel on should be for a single day, like on Monday.

But I could be making it up!

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sprigatito · 05/06/2024 18:18

"At the weekend". "On the weekend" is fine if you're American, as is "on Christmas", but it isn't British English.

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BigBurrata · 05/06/2024 18:18

I would naturally say “at the weekend”.

I think “on the weekend” is a US version.

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KnickerlessParsons · 05/06/2024 18:26

At.

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Ridingthegravytrain · 05/06/2024 18:27

On Christmas is all kinds of wrong! I hadn't heard that before.
Thanks, I did suspect it may be an American thing.

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niadainud · 05/06/2024 18:30

At the weekend. And "in the evening", not "of an evening", if you're being correct/formal.

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SwedishEdith · 05/06/2024 18:31

This has reminded me that I'm sure my granny used to say "of a weekend/Monday".

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BoudiccaOfSuburbia · 05/06/2024 18:32

At the weekend.

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DildoHarding · 05/06/2024 18:32

On Accident is the worst

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TheShellBeach · 05/06/2024 18:33

Years ago, I went to look after a lady for a fortnight, and the previous carer had written a long screed about what medication the lady had "on an evening".

I wanted to correct it, but managed to restrain myself.

Just.

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heldinadream · 05/06/2024 18:38

Totally agree with "at the weekend". Would just like to add that I would say "on A weekend", i.e. "going to the supermarket's the sort of thing I tend to do on a weekend."
No idea what this adds to the conversation!

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subtletyisntlostonme · 05/06/2024 18:44

At!!!
Oh this drives me crackers.
I used to work with a teacher and she had 'on the weekend' displayed as a prompt in her classroom.

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Ridingthegravytrain · 05/06/2024 18:50

It doesn't help that my husband says it as well so I'm having to correct all 3.

If they ask me what we are doing on the weekend again they may not live to see the weekend!

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avocadotofu · 05/06/2024 19:14

I'd say at the weekend, I'm American and the American's I know wouldn't say on either.

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CornflowerBlueSky · 05/06/2024 19:16

EFL teacher here. On the weekend is American English.

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niadainud · 05/06/2024 19:40

avocadotofu · 05/06/2024 19:14

I'd say at the weekend, I'm American and the American's I know wouldn't say on either.

The American's what? 😉

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ASighMadeOfStone · 06/06/2024 14:01

Ridingthegravytrain · 05/06/2024 18:50

It doesn't help that my husband says it as well so I'm having to correct all 3.

If they ask me what we are doing on the weekend again they may not live to see the weekend!

You don't need to correct it because it's not wrong.
It's just an accepted variation.

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LostittoBostik · 06/06/2024 14:13

At, obviously.

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LostittoBostik · 06/06/2024 14:14

DildoHarding · 05/06/2024 18:32

On Accident is the worst

Ughhhhh

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Bringonthesunforthewashing · 06/06/2024 14:16

At the weekend, on is weird.

My dp says cinemas instead or cinema. That drives me potty.

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sesquipedalian · 19/06/2024 00:40

On an EFL forum, an American native speaker tried to argue that “at the weekend” was incorrect. As a native UK English speaker, I had to point out it was not! I think it is another example of where Britain and the US are two countries divided by the same language.

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Justleaveitblankthen · 19/06/2024 00:43

At the weekend, always.

The Americans have a point though:
On Friday
On Saturday
On Sunday..
On the weekend 😁

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