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The dictionary hasn't caught up with current usage. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18167369 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18167369
by PhasmaFelis 8y ago
The dictionary hasn't caught up with current usage. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18167369 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18167369
- Stratoscope 8y agoYes, I'm aware that in casual speech, "electrocute" is often used as a synonym for "electric shock." However, in a discussion about tasers of all things, I think it pays to use the more classically correct definition. Saying that a taser is designed to electrocute you but not kill you simply invites confusion.
- M_Bakhtiari 8y agoI'm not a prescriptivist, but I'd caution against the opposite fallacy as well. It's very useful to have distinct language for receiving electric shocks and for dying as a result, as it is to distinguish between getting wet and drowning.