Electrocution
Tuesday, March 27, 2007 at 8:16 PM | Filed under game shows, grammar/usage
I was watching an episode of the cancelled game show Distraction not too long ago. Distraction is a funny show because the contestants have to answer questions while painful, humiliating stuff happens to them. In one of the rounds, the contestants were strapped into chairs and televisions positioned behind their chairs showed closeups of their eyes. The host explained, "Every time you blink, you will be electrocuted." Wow, I thought, that seems really harsh.
You see, a lot of people misuse the word "electrocute". Let me set the record straight: to electrocute someone is to KILL that person, using electricity. I invite you to take a look at the "-cute" part of the word, which you can also find in the word "execute".
So the host of the game show was just misusing the word, and nobody was killed, thank goodness. I bet that you've never been electrocuted, either. Sure, you may have had a big shock or two in your life, but you can't ever have been electrocuted if you can read this (unless ghosts have access to Firefox or something).
You see, a lot of people misuse the word "electrocute". Let me set the record straight: to electrocute someone is to KILL that person, using electricity. I invite you to take a look at the "-cute" part of the word, which you can also find in the word "execute".
So the host of the game show was just misusing the word, and nobody was killed, thank goodness. I bet that you've never been electrocuted, either. Sure, you may have had a big shock or two in your life, but you can't ever have been electrocuted if you can read this (unless ghosts have access to Firefox or something).
