Overkill
is the use of excessive force or action that goes further than is necessary to achieve its goal. For example, using a sledgehammer to crack a hazelnut, cutting butter with a katana, using a flamethrower to light a candle, or killing an ant with a rocket launcher would be considered overkill.
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OVERKILL TICKETS
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Nuclear weapons
Overkill
is especially used to refer to a
destructive nuclear capacity exceeding the amount needed to destroy an
enemy [1].
The term is attested from 1945
[2] and was in common use during the
Cold War era, referring to the
arms race between the
United States and the former
Soviet Union. Both nations possessed (US and Russia still possess) more than enough nuclear weapons to
destroy one another many times over — nuclear overkill.
US policy was to be able to drop a nuclear bomb on every Soviet town and city forty times over; the term was called "pounding the rubble" or, as military officers sometimes joked, "pounding the
rouble".
Criminology
In
criminal profiling, the term "overkill" refers to the wounds or
mutilations inflicted by offenders (especially
serial killers), which go beyond what is
necessary to kill the
victim. Such wounds are often inflicted
post mortem
. This often occurs when the attacker is completely out of control i.e. a blind
rage or the proverbial
red mist. Alternatively, the deed may be done calmly in order to satisfy the control/possession fantasies of the assailant. A classic example would be a
frenzied stabbing where the victim has suffered a very high count of abdominal wounds.
In movies
In a critical sense, overkill might be considered a close relative of
overacting and
overdramatizing. For example, in most modern horror films, such as
Friday the 13th
, most of the killing is quickly
clichéd, and is always overkill. For instance, when someone has fallen three stories onto the
pavement, it would be overkill to hack him or her up with a
chainsaw.
In video games
Overkill is a common feature in many video games. In some games, such as
Final Fantasy X
, "overkill" is made part of the battle system; finishing off an enemy with a very high-damage attack may give bonus rewards after battle.
Overkill is one of the killing spree medals in
Halo 2
.
Overkill is also a medal and Achievement in "
Halo 3".
In
Call of Duty 4
Overkill is a tier 2 perk that lets the player carry two main weapons.
In
first-person shooters, overkilling a character will often result in
gibbing that character.
Overkill is the name of Vice's HSDM in
The King of Fighters 2002.
In Music
- Overkill (band) is an American thrash metal band, formed in 1980 in New Jersey. The band has been active since 1984, releasing 15 studio albums, 2 EPs, 2 live albums and a "covers" album.
- Motörhead's studio album and song from the album of the same name released in 1979. Lyrics written by Lemmy (Ian Fraser Kilmister).
- Colin Hay has a song named "Overkill". This song is in the first episode of Scrubs Season 2 and on the Scrubs soundtrack.
- Men at Work also have a song called "Overkill", which has been covered by Lazlo Bane. Lazlo Bane are well known for collaborating with Colin Hay, who sings the final part of the song. Colin Hay is also in the official music video.
In literature
Overkill can also be in written literature. Describing excessive detail and dialog can be hard on the reader, and might lose interest. Overkill is mostly prone to amateur writers, who work hard to describe the story for the reader, but ends with giving too much information leaving readers with little imagination to what is going on.
Notes
de:Overkill