| Forum Home | ||||
| PC World Chat | ||||
| Thread ID: 96549 | 2009-01-14 04:34:00 | Help from the Wordsmiths | joemac (9739) | PC World Chat |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 738536 | 2009-01-14 04:34:00 | I have been having a discussion with a friend of mine about the word "electrocute" She is an ambo and was telling me a story about someone who was electrocuted and needed hospital treatment. Now I maintain that this is not possible, if someone has been electrocuted, then they are dead (and therefore require little hospitalisation). It is the same as "drowned" or "executed". Dead. You can't be half drowned any more than you can be half executed. So, what kind of nouns are these? Do they have a name? They require a verb to verify them. For example, one can't say "I am going to an execution" because the person has not been killed. Technically, I guess, the correct thing to say would be "I am going to an attempted execution", because it is not an execution until the person dies. Can anyone enlighten me with this one? |
joemac (9739) | ||
| 738537 | 2009-01-14 04:51:00 | Just curious joemac, are you an Aussie? For when we are talking words, some are dead giveaways.... "Ambos"?? Ken :p |
kenj (9738) | ||
| 738538 | 2009-01-14 04:52:00 | Curiously, no, I'm a zimbo. | joemac (9739) | ||
| 738539 | 2009-01-14 05:09:00 | but u don't have to die if u get electrocuted because it depends on how strong the electrocution was if u only get a few volts it will be ok |
pcuser7895 (12979) | ||
| 738540 | 2009-01-14 05:09:00 | but if u get a few hundred u will die | pcuser7895 (12979) | ||
| 738541 | 2009-01-14 05:11:00 | but u don't have to die if u get electrocuted because it depends on how strong the electrocution was if u only get a few volts it will be ok An electric shock does not amount to electrocution. An electric shot is just that, electrocution is death from an electric shock. |
joemac (9739) | ||
| 738542 | 2009-01-14 05:14:00 | Dont get fixated by the word instead read the sentence to find out what the message is. Or W.G.A.F.A.W. maybe a consideration in this.:D |
memphis (2869) | ||
| 738543 | 2009-01-14 05:43:00 | Hey Zimbo, how's it, a Zamboon here, you are correct: Electrocution: Execution by electricity, Killing by electric shock. |
zqwerty (97) | ||
| 738544 | 2009-01-14 06:32:00 | If they don't die it's just a zap | gary67 (56) | ||
| 738545 | 2009-01-14 07:58:00 | but u don't have to die if u get electrocuted because it depends on how strong the electrocution was if u only get a few volts it will be ok You will die because of the current or amperage, not because of the volts. Some farmers use 10,000 volt cattle prods. I can't see them using a potentially deadly instrument on their valuable cattle. The amperage is very small - one helluva jolt is all. Have a look at the cable between your car battery and the starter motor. It is very thick. That is because the motor uses a lot of current to turn over your motor. Only the foolhardy would wet their fingers and touch those wires and yet it is only 12 volts. If you can, have a look at the busbars in a typical telephone exchange. They are about 10cm wide and about 1cm thick. They carry a lot of amperage but only 50v. I have seen a spanner blasted to pieces after touching one of those busbars.:) |
Roscoe (6288) | ||
| 1 2 3 | |||||