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Comment by DavidSJ | Hacker News Reader

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DavidSJ·

That reminds me of when I was 13:

Me: I don't have my homework because I electrocuted myself last night and went to the hospital [true story].

Teacher: You should have planned that into your schedule [apparently serious].

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That's funny, but he may have meant you should not put off homework til the last possible day or minute, or just this kind of thing can come up and scuttle it. If the teacher literally assigned it at 3pm, due next day, then a few hours later you're electrocuted, that's understandable. But if it was assigned a week before, and it would have only done a few hours to do, it's much less so. Because stuff comes up. If it wasn't random electrocution it would be random something else. And keep in mind the same teacher probably hears lots of excuses, some real, some made-up, all the time. I imagine it gets frustrating for them, and their empathy wanes away. Cops have a similar effect.

You went to the hospital because you died?

You're misinformed - electrocution does not imply death

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/electrocute

It does, only in informal speech does it not imply death. If you get electrically shocked and don't die then you were not electrocuted.

Since when has Hacker News been a forum of formal speech?

Since always HN is a place of clear and precise communication.

jes5199's wiktionary link says that "Strictly correct usage is to reserve electrocute and electrocution for fatal electric shocks". Do you have a source?

Looks like I was misinformed. However, the Wikipedia entry for electrocution (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electrocution) does mention that the choice of definition varies from dictionary to dictionary.

> (informal) To inflict a severe electric shock, not necessarily fatally.

it is derived from 'execute'

I upvoted you. You sound just like the teacher :).

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