Talk:Strangling

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[edit] "...to death?"

I was always taught at journalism college, in law lectures, that strangling was a very final act and that death was the only conclusion. Any compression of the neck area which was not fatal was always an attempt at strangulation, not actual strangulation; and therefore where someone says "strangle(d)/(ing) to death" it's essentially tautologous.

If the compression was for a reason other than violent life extinction, such as an aid to sexual gratification, then the expression I always deployed was asphyxiation; this is also used in coroner's courts where such acts have gone wrong and a person has died as a consequence. Mileage clearly varies, and I've not made any changes to the article as I think further debate might be needed, if deemed important enough! Maybe it varies depending on the national brand of English used. Anyway, thought I'd drop in and make the point; it stems from a dual change I made to the Moors Murders page which has now been reversed. I am not inclined to get into a tit-for-tat reversal process on that article, but I would appreciate some opinions. Regards! Bentley Banana 08:47, 1 April 2006 (UTC)

In the Oxford Dictionary of English, strangle is defined as "squeeze or constrict the neck of (a person or animal), especially so as to cause death", with strangulation being "the action or state of strangling or being strangled". So according to this definition, strangling does not necessarily imply death. The definition may vary in different disciplines or areas of knowledge, such as in US law, BDSM or combat sports. In an attempt to reduce bias by any such discipline, a broad definition was used (similar to the one given by the Oxford Dictionary of English). --Marcus 11:02, 1 April 2006 (UTC)

I think to include a chokehold in an article on strangling is incorrect. A strangle is cutting off circulation of blood to the brain, but a choke is cutting off air and therefore restriction of the windpipe. That has always been the distinction within the martial arts training that I have had which includes both Judo and Jiu-Jitsu.

in the novel titled The Godfather luca brasi is strangled by an unnamed assailant, while his hands are held immobile on top of the bar by sollozzo and tattaglia. there is no knife involved. The knife attack was in the motion picture version.