# Would it still be accurate to classify certain crime as a massacre, even though nobody died? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 29, 2018, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-still-be-accurate-to-classify-certain-crime-as-a-massacre-even-though-nobody-died/822165 "2018-09-29T15:25:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mislav](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/77aa72/32.png) [@Mislav](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mislav)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2018, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-still-be-accurate-to-classify-certain-crime-as-a-massacre-even-though-nobody-died/822165/1 "2018-09-29T15:25:55Z")
For example, there is a mass shooting or a terrorist attack where lots of people are seriously injured (10+). But nobody dies. Do you think it would be accurate to describe such a crime as massacre? And have there been any such cases in real life? ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2018, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-still-be-accurate-to-classify-certain-crime-as-a-massacre-even-though-nobody-died/822165/2 "2018-09-29T15:29:44Z")
No, a massacre means a large group of people were there **and** many of them were killed. Without the killing, it’s definitely not a massacre - you’d need a different word. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2018, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-still-be-accurate-to-classify-certain-crime-as-a-massacre-even-though-nobody-died/822165/3 "2018-09-29T15:44:14Z")
Poor [Kellyanne Conway](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowling_Green_massacre) got reamed for her use of the term “massacre”. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2018, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-still-be-accurate-to-classify-certain-crime-as-a-massacre-even-though-nobody-died/822165/4 "2018-09-29T20:19:45Z")
You can use it in a joking or metaphorical way like “That actor really massacred his lines”, but if you’re using it in a non-joking way, then many deaths has to be what you mean. And you would definitely never want to use it metaphorically when talking about a situation where you could have meant it literally, because that would be either highly disrespectful or highly stupid or both. ---
**Author:** ![BobBitchin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7ea924/32.png) [@BobBitchin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobBitchin)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2018, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-still-be-accurate-to-classify-certain-crime-as-a-massacre-even-though-nobody-died/822165/5 "2018-09-29T21:30:13Z")
The dictionary says no, society says you can use words however you like. I mean this literally.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2018, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-still-be-accurate-to-classify-certain-crime-as-a-massacre-even-though-nobody-died/822165/6 "2018-09-29T21:50:40Z")
Wasn’t Nixon firing a bunch of people called a massacre once? The memory is fuzzy on this without looking it up. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2018, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-still-be-accurate-to-classify-certain-crime-as-a-massacre-even-though-nobody-died/822165/7 "2018-09-29T23:28:17Z")
> [@Two\_Many\_Cats](#): > > Wasn’t Nixon firing a bunch of people called a massacre once? The memory is fuzzy on this without looking it up. Correct, literally; the best kind of correct:D Saturday Night Massacre > **[Saturday Night Massacre](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturday_Night_Massacre)** > > The "Saturday Night Massacre" was a series of resignations over the dismissal of special prosecutor Archibald Cox that took place in the United States Department of Justice during the Watergate scandal in 1973. The events followed the refusal by Cox to drop a subpoena for the Nixon White House tapes at President Richard Nixon's request. > During a single evening on Saturday, October 20, Nixon ordered Attorney General Elliot Richardson to fire Archibald Cox; Richardson refused and resigned effect... ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2018, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-still-be-accurate-to-classify-certain-crime-as-a-massacre-even-though-nobody-died/822165/8 "2018-09-29T23:50:38Z")
[Moderating] I _think_ this thread is probably a fit for GQ. It certainly isn’t a fit for CS. Moving. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2018, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-still-be-accurate-to-classify-certain-crime-as-a-massacre-even-though-nobody-died/822165/9 "2018-09-30T00:26:05Z")
> [@smithsb](#): > > Correct, literally; the best kind of correct:D That is technically incorrect. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/hou0lU8WMgo/hqdefault.jpg "Technically Correct - Futurama") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hou0lU8WMgo) ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2018, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-still-be-accurate-to-classify-certain-crime-as-a-massacre-even-though-nobody-died/822165/10 "2018-09-30T00:33:27Z")
Arlo Guthrie was involved in a massacre. ISTR he called it a “massacree”, though. ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2018, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-still-be-accurate-to-classify-certain-crime-as-a-massacre-even-though-nobody-died/822165/11 "2018-09-30T12:46:13Z")
> [@eschereal](#): > > Arlo Guthrie was involved in a massacre. ISTR he called it a “massacree”, though. Wiktionary says “massacree” is Ozark dialect for [an out-of-control situation.](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/massacree) I haven’t been able to find any other source that confirms that, though. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2018, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-it-still-be-accurate-to-classify-certain-crime-as-a-massacre-even-though-nobody-died/822165/12 "2018-10-02T07:29:10Z")
[Mass Casualtity Incident](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass-casualty_incident) is a term used by first-responders. That may be closest what you want. I’m not sure there is a single word to describe such incidents that involve only wounding, no deaths – that seems like a rather unusual occurrence.