[jjbrr]

Electrocution is death caused by electric shock, either accidental or deliberate.

It is a portmanteau of electric and execution.

Stop using this word incorrectly. Thanks.

Bonus pet peeve: people who post stupid ***** on facebook (so basically everyone).

[gordontd]

Foxx, on 2012-May-31, 15:50, said:

"alot"

I have no idea where this came from and I see it way too often.

I don't recall ever seeing it until this thread.

[barmar]

jjbrr, on 2012-September-22, 14:42, said:

Electrocution is death caused by electric shock, either accidental or deliberate.

It is a portmanteau of electric and execution.

Stop using this word incorrectly. Thanks.

Is your complaint that people use this when the victim didn't actually die? My dictionary (the one that comes with Mac OS X, I think it's Oxford American) says that electrocute means "injure or kill someone by electric shock". So if you survive, you've still been electrocuted.

[jjbrr]

barmar, on 2012-September-22, 20:14, said:

Is your complaint that people use this when the victim didn't actually die? My dictionary (the one that comes with Mac OS X, I think it's Oxford American) says that electrocute means "injure or kill someone by electric shock". So if you survive, you've still been electrocuted.

oxford's solution to any frequently misused word it seems.

they forgot to tell anyone else they were changing the definition i suppose.

[VMars]

jillybean, on 2012-May-31, 17:25, said:

Just in case people want to see the whole thing, this came from the blog Hyperbole and A Half. http://hyperboleanda...everything.html

My favorite is the one with the cake. Even though I've read it before, I still laugh.

[Quantumcat]

jjbrr, on 2012-January-17, 09:15, said:

People who complain about tipping, don't understand tipping etiquette, under-tip, or fail to tip the waiter despite the kitchen being entirely at fault.

Don't need to worry about that in Australia, nobody tips anybody, except as a way to avoid small coins in change

This confused the heck out of us, when we went on a round-the-world trip a few years ago. Got off at LAX and took a shuttle bus to the hotel, and the driver kept hanging around us and chatting while we were trying to carry our bags into the reception, even though there were other people on the bus who needed to get to their hotels too. It really creeped us out. A few days later my uncle explained to us how things worked there, that service people get like 50c an hour and rely on tips so everybody always gives tips. We felt guilty and very sorry for the people at the restaurants and stuff we went to before we visited my uncle!!

[y66]

from Oxford English Dictionary

electrocute, v.
Pronunciation: Brit. /ᵻˈlɛktrəkjuːt/ , U.S. /əˈlɛktrəˌkjut/ , /iˈlɛktrəˌkjut/
Forms: 18– electricute (now nonstandard), 18– electrocute.
Etymology: < electro- comb. form + -cute (in execute v.). Compare electrocution n....
orig. U.S.

1. trans. To put to death by means of a powerful electric current; to execute in the electric chair.

1889 Trenton (New Jersey) Times 7 June 4/2 (heading) He wants to be ‘electrocuted’... An offer on the part of a man..to act as a victim..by testing the..new apparatus for executing by electricity.

1890 Congress. Rec. 8375/1 That the gentleman..should be ‘electrocuted’ by the Kemmler process recently adopted in the state of New York.

1903 W. D. Howells Lett. Home v 32, I could be sitting this moment with the transmitter at my mouth, and the receivers strapped to both ears, and looking as if I were just going to be electrocuted.

1945 N. Mitford Pursuit of Love xiii. 101, I bet the Scotsboro' boys will be electrocuted in the end, if they don't die of old age first, that is.

2001 Times (Nexis) 28 July, In Georgia I stood outside death row as the state electrocuted a man I thought was probably innocent.

2. trans. To give an electric shock to; esp. (chiefly refl. or in pass.) to kill or injure by electric shock.

1890 Freeborn County Standard (Albert Lea, Minnesota) (Electronic text) 24 Sept., When venture-some rodents walk within a metallic cage, containing cheese, they are transfixed by a strong electric current and ‘electrocuted’.

1899 Times 11 Apr. 1/4 Continuation of the Monster Holiday Show. Marvellous performances... See to-day, at 3 and 8, Dr. Walford Bodie electrocute a man.

1909 Yorks. Post 4 Aug. 4/5 [A boy] who was electrocuted on the Mersey Railway last Saturday.

1939 D. L. Sayers In Teeth of Evid. 9 One of them got loose last time and tried to electrocute itself on the X-ray plant.

1988 Courier-Mail (Brisbane) (Nexis) 10 May, I was electrocuted. I can still smell the flesh burning.

2004 Chicago Tribune (Midwest ed.) 11 July x. 23/2, I wasn't going to touch a battery—I'd have electrocuted myself.

[jjbrr]

right. oxford is the only source that seems to have an alternate definition, which suggests the definition has evolved recently.

i'm not saying they're wrong, but they're wrong.

[barmar]

jjbrr, on 2012-September-24, 07:07, said:

right. oxford is the only source that seems to have an alternate definition, which suggests the definition has evolved recently.

Recently? They give dates, and both definitions date from about a year apart.

[wyman]

Other than the 1988 (perhaps) and 2004 usages, all of these may suggest death. The 1899 version is less clear, though it's not hard to imagine that the implication is still that the man dies (but is miraculously brought back to life because it's a show...).

I don't have a dog in this fight, just pointing out that i dont think what brr said is inconsistent with what's written.

[jjbrr]

Chicago Tribune...

[billw55]

I am somewhat surprised that the word existed in 1889 (first definition above). Apparently, it doesn't take long between a new technology development (electric power/transmission) and working out a way to kill someone with it.

[gwnn]

Patton scoring is bad enough but now I hear from MickyB's thread that they came up with 60% imps+40% mps? When is it going to end? IMP's and MP's are already close enough (much closer than most people pretend), great let's try all sorts of linear combinations! whooppie woo.

[Trinidad]

gwnn, on 2012-October-02, 03:21, said:

Patton scoring is bad enough but now I hear from MickyB's thread that they came up with 60% imps+40% mps? When is it going to end? IMP's and MP's are already close enough (much closer than most people pretend), great let's try all sorts of linear combinations! whooppie woo.

I think Patton scoring can be fun to play once a year. But I agree that using varying linear combinations of imps and mps is going overboard. Maybe we should be happy that they are not playing some linear combination of MPs, IMPs and Rubber scoring.

Rik

[gwnn]

People who think reaching 10000 posts is something special.

[dwar0123]

Just to immortalize that post, so gwnn can feel free to post again



Oh and cause I am using flickr to host this, apparently I have to link back to them when I embed an image.

http://www.flickr.com/

[jjbrr]

gwnn, on 2012-October-03, 02:08, said:

People who think reaching 10000 posts is something special.

internet attention whores

Spoiler

just kidding !H gwnn

Spoiler

but seriously get a life

Spoiler

!H

[gwnn]

I know people tend to blow these things out of proportion, jjbrr, but you gotta say that more people have been on Moon missions than reached 10000 posts on BBF.

[Thiros]

jjbrr, on 2012-October-03, 12:18, said:

internet attention whores

As a more specific case, people who put "girl" in their screen name.

[jjbrr]

gwnn, on 2012-October-03, 16:22, said:

I know people tend to blow these things out of proportion, jjbrr, but you gotta say that more people have been on Moon missions than reached 10000 posts on BBF.

i will say more clowns have 10K+ posts than moon landings, yes.