A particularly unpleasant use of 'decimate'

[nq:1]From a report just now on Radio Five Live about Germany's policy (now abandoned) of encouraging Jews to escape persecution in Eastern Europe by settling in Germany: 'It seemed fitting that Germany should help the same communities it had decimated during the Second World War.'[/nq]
I think you've got the challenge backwards, Mickwick. It's not to find examples like above, which easy to fi

[nq:2]From a report just now on Radio Five Live about ... same communities it had decimated during the Second World War.'[/nq]
[nq:1]I think you've got the challenge backwards, Mickwick. It's not to find examples like above, which easy to find and ... an old punishment for mutineers. Given your choice of example, Godwin's Law may kick in. Best Donna Richoux==[/nq]
In "Wordweb" there is onl

[nq:2]From a report just now on Radio Five Live about ... same communities it had decimated during the Second World War.'[/nq]
[nq:1]I think you've got the challenge backwards, Mickwick. It's not to find examples like above, which easy to find and ... to exist, except to describe an old punishment for mutineers. Given your choice of example, Godwin's Law may kick in.[/nq]
Strangely enough,

[nq:2]I think you've got the challenge backwards, Mickwick. It's not ... Godwin's Law may kick in. Best Donna Richoux[/nq]
[nq:1]== In "Wordweb" there is only one definition shown for decimate: Verb: decimate 1. Kill in large numbers Fred[/nq]
Using that definition certainly saved Wordweb some research and typing. Search google groups for subjects in this newsgroup that contain "decimate"

[nq:2]From a report just now on Radio Five Live about ... same communities it had decimated during the Second World War.'[/nq]
[nq:1]I think you've got the challenge backwards, Mickwick. It's not to find examples like above, which easy to find and correct. It is to find the supposedly "correct" uses concerning one-tenth, which don't appear to exist, except to describe an old punishment

[nq:2]I think you've got the challenge backwards, Mickwick. It's not ... Given your choice of example, Godwin's Law may kick in.[/nq]
[nq:1]Strangely enough, I stumbled across an example a couple days ago: << We Wish to Inform You That ... examples of incorrect usage that even the hardiest would start to think there might be something in it after all.[/nq]
It would probably be quite dif

[nq:1]Appropriately enough, it was also a punishment used by the ***** when they encountered resistance in an occupied village. They would line up all the men, count off every tenth one, and shoot him.[/nq]
Got a ref for that ? It's an interesting survival of the original meaning.
All such reprisals that I'm aware of though didn't use that metric. Instead, after say the murder of two Germa

[nq:2]Appropriately enough, it was also a punishment used by the ... the men, count off every tenth one, and shoot him.[/nq]
[nq:1]Got a ref for that ? It's an interesting survival of the original meaning. All such reprisals that I'm aware of though didn't use that metric. Instead, after say the murder of two German soldiers, there would be 2 x 10 locals executed. Decamation ?[/nq]
Only a

[nq:2]Strangely enough, I stumbled across an example a couple days ago:[/nq]
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0312243359/morganssanctu-20/104-8656547-4779153
[nq:2]http://tin

[nq:2]Got a ref for that ? It's an interesting survival ... there would be 2 x 10 locals executed. Decamation ?[/nq]
[nq:1]Only a handful of people escaped the French village of Oradour-sur-Glane after a reprisal raid by the SS. Annihilation. The village has been left almost as it was after the Germans left, as a memorial.[/nq]
Yep.
There wasn't a standard tariff.
After the assas