[Cialug] Security and the browser

[David Champion]

Daniel A. Ramaley wrote:
> On Tuesday October 21 2008 17:27, Bryan Baker wrote:
>   
>> Just don't get me started on "decimated"!
>>     
>
> I'll bite. What's wrong with "decimated"? I know the word has changed 
> definition somewhat drastically[1] but otherwise seems OK to me.
>
> [1] Correct me if i'm wrong, but i think it once meant having 10% of
>     a population killed (in reference to a punishment meted out to
>     Roman Centurions), but now it means having 10% of a population
>     remain while the other 90% are wiped out. Or in more casual use,
>     it just means a substantial fraction loss of a population.
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Dan Ramaley                            Dial Center 118, Drake University
> Network Programmer/Analyst             2407 Carpenter Ave
> +1 515 271-4540                        Des Moines IA 50311 USA
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>   

Yeah, that's the one.

It's one of those things where some people use it incorrectly, it 
eventually becomes accepted practice to use it incorrectly.

I think it's commonly used now for an event more loose interpretation - 
simply meaning that something was wiped out or destroyed, i.e. "The 
tornado totally decimated the town." I've heard that expression used on 
national news programs.

-dc

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