On Fri, 25 Jul 2008, Mortimer wrote:

"asdf" wrote in message
...
On Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:40:22 GMT, Chris Tolley wrote:

disgoftunwells wrote:

Electrocution for peeing on a railway track is a very harsh penalty
indeed.

Seems to be more a form of karma than a penalty.

I think he's making a pedantic comment about the subject line.

(Electrocution is a form of execution, not accidental death.)

No, electrocution means death by electric shock, whether accidental or as an
execution:

New Oxford Dictionary of English (2001)

"electrocute: injure or kill someone by electric shock: 'a man was
electrocuted on the rail track'"

They even choose the same example as in this case!

And from the big OED:



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 Yorkshire 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{em}I'd have electrocuted myself.



So, the word was coined (in the US) to mean execution, but within a year
it had shifted to mean killing more generally, even in the US.

tom

--
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