The Word ‘Literally’ Now Means “Figuratively.” Literally.
This morning, on the Today Show, a woman who described the hunt for a missing girl by saying, “They are literally turning over heaven and earth.”
Except, she didn’t really mean literally.
She meant, “but not for reals, yo.”
Do people know what this word means? It’s like adding on, “I means it!” to stuff. It’s supposed to mean that what you just said was FOR SERIOUS.
It’s a fantastic ONE word that captures the concept that the actual meaning of the words you spoke should be taken at complete face value as the truth. How wonderful that there is a single word to even describe such a concept! You don’t have to say, “I’m serious. I meant the meaning of each and every one of those words and the statement I just made is completely true.”
You don’t have to do that! There’s a word for it! It is: literally
What a brilliant language.
Here. Let’s ruin it.
Literally.
Just a random attorney writing about daily life with Little Filthy, my rotten dog.