Proofreading Service - Pain in the English
Proofreading Service - Pain in the English

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Proofreading Service - Pain in the English
Proofreading Service - Pain in the English

Your Pain Is Our Pleasure

24-Hour Proofreading Service—We proofread your Google Docs or Microsoft Word files. We hate grammatical errors with a passion. Learn More

Head shot

As nasty as it sounds, for a translation I just need to know what the word is for the shooting into head of an executed person after being shot by the fire squad. Is it a head shot? Or there is a military jargon for it?

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Coup de grace.

Nicholas_Sanders Oct-20-2007

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Head shot certainly doesn't work. A head shot is a professional 8 x 10 glossy photograph of an actor or model, sent to prospective employers as part of his or her portfolio.

porsche Oct-20-2007

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What about "cranial shot".

Hurley1 Oct-23-2007

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Nicholas is correct.

A head shot is an instantly fatal shot to the head, usually fired by a sniper. It's also a common term among players of first-person-shooter video games.

And, in the spirit of Hurley, I offer you: noggin pop.

Doug_Brown Oct-24-2007

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Apparently "dead checking" is the modern terminology used by US solders. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_checking

Coup de grâce (blow of mercy) might also be of use.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coup_de_gr%C3%A2ce

Caecus.Morio Oct-25-2007

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Is "jargon" a uncountable noun? I was taught that "jargon" is and was corrected in this usage by my English teacher. Since this site is where English usages are scrutinized, I am just puzzled and raise my question. I am not being picky...I really want to know the answer from native speakers.

Thank you all!

monkey1 Oct-27-2007

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Monkey, like most mass nouns, it depends on how you're using it. Usually, it is uncountable and used in the singular. While we're at it, so is "usage". You should have said: "...this site is where English usage is scrutinized..."

anonymous4 Oct-28-2007

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Thank you so much. It is really difficult for non native speakers to sense such subtle difference as you pointed out. Thanks again! :)

monkey1 Oct-29-2007

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Coup de grâce is certainly the one term I am familiar with as being associated with a firing squad

Anne_Martin Nov-13-2007

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