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.
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Just a random attorney writing about daily life with Little Filthy, my rotten dog.
March 5th, 2010 at 8:11 am
I am literally typing so fast my fingers are on fire sfjcdnjklasha;hdfaoidhfao;sidvhsoidvhsdoivhsodivhsodivhsa’pdihv’
aKSDhvlskadhvsao’idvha’spdihv’aspoivs’pdvhs’pvohsa’pdvhas’pdvh
sad’pvohSP’DOVHSpodivhsa’pdvohsdpohspoidhv’poDSHVS’podvhas
p’dovhsap’dovhspdhvsdpo
P.S. RE YOUS DA BOMMMMMM
March 5th, 2010 at 8:14 am
Education is in steep decline in this country. It’s scary.
Good for those students for marching yesterday.
March 5th, 2010 at 10:23 am
Oops! And on national t.v. too!
March 5th, 2010 at 2:09 pm
I hate when people do this! I’ve caught myself a couple times and instantly flinched.
But then I’m totally judgmental. When I hear other people do it I’m thinking… “dumbasssss”
I’m going to hell.
March 5th, 2010 at 7:30 pm
One of my biggest pet peeves when grading papers is when students liberally sprinkle their analysis with “literally”. It doesn’t mean what you think it means, moron! But of course, I don’t say it like that when I mark their paper but I’m thinking that in my head.
March 5th, 2010 at 11:08 pm
My step mother does this ALL THE TIME. It drives me crazy. She also does this thing in which she’ll say “oh, you know John Doe” and I’ll say no. Then she immediately says “Yes you do!”
It makes me want to throttle her. (Possibly literally.)
March 6th, 2010 at 6:36 am
Sunshine is on my jock right now as I type this.
LITERALLY.
March 6th, 2010 at 6:30 pm
I seriously hate the misuse of the word “literally”.
I find it a crime against the English language.
March 8th, 2010 at 7:18 pm
This cracks me up because the word literally HAS morphed into meaning figuratively. Literally.
I am trying to figure out if I do this or not. I know I will think twice before ever using the word again. Literally.
March 9th, 2010 at 9:48 am
You know, when you use the term “Figuratively speaking” it DOES in fact, make it true. Literally.
March 9th, 2010 at 1:00 pm
oh MAAAAN one of my biggest pet peeves. have even blogged about my hatred for it before as well! it LITERALLY makes me pull my hair out. HA HA NO IT DOESN’T. see what i did there? GOD I HATE PEOPLE.
March 9th, 2010 at 1:21 pm
Also, “virtually.”