I hate when I’m reading the paper and see the phrase “shot to death” or “stabbed to death” only to later find that the person in question was only stabbed or shot once. It seems misleading to me. I realize that if the single gunshot or stab wound were enough to end that person’s life, then the addition of “to death” would be perfectly accurate, but there’s still a certain plurality implied by the words “to death.”

When I read “the victim was shot to death” I immediately interpret that as “the victim was shot, repeatedly, until they were dead.” Really, what I’m expecting here is a scene out of Rambo minus the shirtlessness because it’s cold where I live. Instead, what I find out is that

A) the victim was only shot once, most often in the head, and
B) (in one case) the victim was a baby, which made me feel bad.

So, really, newspapers, if you’re going to use “stabbed to death” or “shot to death”, make sure the mental image the reader has as a result matches the story at least a little bit.

Also I’m sorry for making light of brutal murder.

“Well, actually…”

These two words are enough to instantly destroy any camaraderie, cheer, and goodwill built up in casual conversation.

The situation is familiar: meaningless small-talk takes place between sociable people who don’t quite know each other yet. At some point, often in jest, some kind of factoid is mentioned. Perhaps someone (the fool!) refers to Humpty Dumpty as an egg. Immediately springs the cry:

“Well, actually…”

The hunting call of the wild pedant.

“Well, actually, the character of Humpty Dumpty was only depicted as an egg in Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking Glass, while evidence from the original nursery rhyme points toward the name being given to a cannon during the English Civil war.”

Unspoken goes the implication, “… and if you were an educated and intelligent person like myself instead of an uncultured swine wallowing in your own ignorance, you would know that.”

This is the point of no return. The conversation is effectively over. The small group of sociable people will disperse. Perhaps they will speak again before the night is over, but an element of awkwardness has been introduced that will not dissipate anytime soon.

The pedant, meanwhile, gloats and moves on.