December 19, 2013
Now on Visual Thesaurus: “Electrocution: A Shocking Misuse?”
I have a new post up on Visual Thesaurus about the use, misuse, and history of the word electrocute. Some usage commentators today insist that it be used only to refer to death by electric shock; that is, you can’t say you’ve been electrocuted if you lived to tell the tale. But the history, unsurprisingly, is more complicated: there have been disputes about the word since its birth.
As always, the article is for subscribers only, but a subscription costs a paltry $2.95 a month or $19.95 (and would make a great gift for the word lover in your life). Check it out.
Mar Rojo
Well you sure can’t say it if you didn’t live. 😉
Mar Rojo
;aybe: You can’t say someone’s been electrocuted if they’ve lived to tell the tale.