Originally posted by Skydiver
People often associate the phrase "cold blooded" with a criminal act because we usually use it with the term "murder", as in it was a cold-blooded murder. But "cold-blooded" really means "without emotion". In the context of murder, it usually connotates lack of pity for the victim - lack of empathy.
In a lawful context, e.g. Sam the Air Force officer on a mission, shooting Ba'al to rescue a comrade, the "cold blooded" is just as relevant; it's a task which she carries out in cold blood.
If Sam "lost it" and killed someone because they'd done something that sickened her, that would not be a cold-blooded killing. It would be a hot-blooded one (for want of a better phrase); often called a crime of passion.
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