pass out

[Millie Webb]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Victoria Neufeldt" <vneufeldt at MERRIAM-WEBSTER.COM>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Friday, August 02, 2002 2:24 PM
Subject: Re: pass out


> Isn't 'passed out' a common synonym for 'drunk'?  There is a sad
> tradition of people, including law officers, assuming that someone
> lying in the gutter has passed out from drink, and therefore not
> bothering to offer help.  This might have been a similar situation;
> i.e. they assumed he was drunk.  'Passed out' conjurs up the image of
> someone who is drunk, while the word 'unconscious' is more often used
> for medical situations.
>
> Victoria Neufeldt
> 727 9th Street East
> Saskatoon, Sask.
> S7H 0M6
> Canada
> Tel: 306-955-8910
>


Absolutely, Victoria. I immediately assumed when I read the sentence that
they meant he had "just" passed out from being drunk, and was not
necessarily in need of medical help.  Of course, there is the point to be
made that anyone who has passed out from drinking too much likely does need
medical help (think alcohol poisoning, think aspiration, etc.).  It is a sad
commentary that they would just leave him to stew thinking it was "just"
losing consciousness from drinking.  but as I said, I assumed right away
that this was the point of putting it in scare quotes.

Then again, it could have been that they assumed he had only passed out
briefly (from drink), and would be fine momentarily.  It does sound more
serious medically, and possibly permanent, to say he "lost consciousness",
which would have implied a duty on their part to actually check on him.