"Mortimer" wrote in message
o.uk...
"Felicity S." Fliss@orpheusnet wrote in message
news:fIxm7.2485$lk6.889132@orpheusnews...

BTW, the word 'electrocution' is short for electric execution but
these are accidental deaths; however, I guess that's preferable
to the media using it to mean any (survivable) electric shock.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/electrocute gives both meanings of
the word: execution by electricity being the original meaning (1889) but
in the sense of accidental death due to electricity, it was first recorded
in 1909.

Similarly, New Oxford Dictionary of English, OUP, 2001 says "injure or
kill someone by electric shock: [example] a man was electrocuted on the
rail track", implying accidental death rather than execution.

By the way, the prize for unintentionally crass comment (quoted in
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...ion-fears.html)
goes to Marching Song's part-owner Graham Thorner who said the fallen horse
had 'great potential'. ;-)