quote:

Originally posted by Patriot:
to kill or severely injure by electric shock


Look it up…

I looked it up and according to my Merriam-Webster's dictionary:

electrocute - 1. to execute (a criminal) by electricity; 2. to kill by electric shock - electrocution.

That's it. Nothing about injuring - severe or otherwise.

And for an online version there's this from the Cambridge Dictionary:
https://dictionary.cambridge.o...nglish/electrocution

the action of killing someone by causing electricity to flow through their body

quote:

Originally posted by Patriot:
Merriam-Webster

Yep, I saw that. Don't know when the supposed change occurred (must have been after my dictionary was printed in 2002) but only the so-called "medical" definition includes injury.

So, a question to our SIGforum medical pros. - are the terms electrocution or electrocuted commonly used and understood in the medical field to mean just an injury?

From The Cleveland Clinic, an electrical shock that results in death is called electrocution.

On a related note, I always thought getting drowned means death, but that's not the case either.

Drowning means death. Near drowning means not.

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:

Near drowning means not.

Yeah, I always laugh when a pilot tells me that they had a "near miss" with another airplane. Wait, you had a near miss and you're here to tell me about it?

From Medical News Today…

Electric shocks can cause injuries that are not always visible. Depending on how high the voltage was, the injury may be fatal. However, if a person survives the initial electrocution, they should seek medical attention to ensure that no injuries have occurred.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.c...#contacting-a-doctor

Got it. You're going with the definition of the word that is meant for "modern audiences" (tip of the hat to Critical Drinker), which is in the same category of vaccine being updated to include non-vaccines like COVID and flu shots.

It doesn't make sense when viewed through the lenses of science or logic, but I see this a hill you'll fight to die on so I'll leave it at that.

quote:

Originally posted by Patriot:
From Medical News Today…

Electric shocks can cause injuries that are not always visible. Depending on how high the voltage was, the injury may be fatal. However, if a person survives the initial electrocution, they should seek medical attention to ensure that no injuries have occurred.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.c...#contacting-a-doctor

Lame. Some medical writer put out this lengthy article about electrical shocks. The word "shock" was defined and is peppered throughout, but then "electrocution" was slipped in right in the middle of the article without defining what the term means.

I gave you legal and medical above.

And, per federal OSHA, Electrocution results when a person is exposed to a lethal amount of electrical energy. It has nothing to do with nonfatal electrical injuries.

Some folks like to use them terms (shock and electrocution) interchangeably, but they should not.

quote:

Originally posted by marksman41:
Got it. You're going with the definition of the word that is meant for "modern audiences" (tip of the hat to Critical Drinker), which is in the same category of vaccine being updated to include non-vaccines like COVID and flu shots.

It doesn't make sense when viewed through the lenses of science or logic, but I see this a hill you'll fight to die on so I'll leave it at that.

I suggest you reach out to Mr. Greg Wehner and chastise him accordingly.

You posted said “hill”, I simply offered some contrary feedback that might explain his massive faux pas that created such a stir in you that you had to saddle up your computer and take to the threads.

I too shall move on friend…12131 may, however, still be in deep thought looking for more citings.

quote:

Originally posted by Patriot:

You posted said “hill”, I simply offered some contrary feedback that might explain his massive faux pas that created such a stir in you that you had to saddle up your computer and take to the threads.

As the man said, "Yippee-Ki-Yay, Motherfucker."

Good journalists keep an AP Stylebook and Merriam-Webster dictionary at their desk. They're supposed to answer to editors who use the same tools. However, there aren't a lot of trained journalists in newsrooms. It's gotten rather sloppy, the product isn't good. Perhaps that a major reason fewer people subscribe or tune in to traditional news media.

As others have pointed out, the Merriam-Webster definition is:

https://www.merriam-webster.co...ctionary/electrocute

The AP Stylebook is definitely being overhauled by progressive Democrats judging by the new chapter in it regarding criminal justice reporting.

https://www.ap.org/media-cente...nal-justice-chapter/

I guess I am just a purist.

I think when folks misuse a word, they should learn and improve.

Changing or adding definitions to a word when it is sufficiently misused in an attempt to explain others lack of vocabulary just dumbs things down. Yet another race to lowest common denominator.


grunt /“grrr-un′t″/

noun, verb, pronoun, adverb, adjective

Guttural sound made by humanoids to mean or refer to any and everything after the fall of the species.
"Grog want fud?”
“Grunt”

To express concern, lack of concern, or other emotions or ideas when the subject doesn’t know the actual words which would clearly express those thoughts and ideas.

quote:

grunt /“grrr-un′t″/

noun, verb, pronoun, adverb, adjective

Also the word traditionally used By Marine infantrymen to identify themselves with that occupation speciality.
It is frequently also used as an honorific to Grunt allies such as field artillery forward observers and combat engineers.
In the hierarchy of usefulness it is: Grunts, Pogues, then REMFS and finally WGAF.

Used in a sentence "Smile when you say Grunt!"

quote:

Originally posted by wishfull thinker:

quote:

grunt /“grrr-un′t″/

noun, verb, pronoun, adverb, adjective

Also the word traditionally used By Marine infantrymen to identify themselves with that occupation speciality.
It is frequently also used as an honorific to Grunt allies such as field artillery forward observers and combat engineers.
In the hierarchy of usefulness it is: Grunts, Pogues, then REMFS and finally WGAF.

Used in a sentence "Smile when you say Grunt!"

Oorah…