4 ms·

Literally broke your mind?

by yellowblue 14y ago

jQueryIsAwesome 14y ago
Be careful there, he said "mind" not "brain". And also, obligatory kxcd: http://xkcd.com/1108/ http://xkcd.com/1108/
- sounds 14y ago
  http://www.downforeveryoneorjustme.com/imgs.xkcd.com http://www.downforeveryoneorjustme.com/imgs.xkcd.com
  - jQueryIsAwesome 14y ago
    Weird, it works from my location. (Colombia)
pretoriusB 14y ago
Yes, literally. People flogging that dead horse fail to realize that a word has many meanings, not always compatible with it's original or primary meaning ("sad gay people", do exist, for example). If they have looked into a recent dictionary, e.g dictionary.com, they would have read, for example: lit·er·al·ly [lit-er-uh-lee] adverb (...) 4.in effect; in substance; very nearly; virtually. Emphasis mine. There's even a usage note: Since the early 20th century, literally has been widely used as an intensifier meaning “in effect, virtually,” a sense that contradicts the earlier meaning “actually, without exaggeration".
- rrreese 14y ago
  Or section c of this OED entry: http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/109061?redirectedFrom=literally&#38 http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/109061?redirectedFrom=literall...; "c. colloq. Used to indicate that some (freq. conventional) metaphorical or hyperbolical expression is to be taken in the strongest admissible sense: ‘virtually, as good as’; (also) ‘completely, utterly, absolutely’. Now one of the most common uses, although often considered irregular in standard English since it reverses the original sense of literally (‘not figuratively or metaphorically’)." Which is followed by examples dating back to 1769.
  - godDLL 14y ago
    I won't usually leave a comment like this, but well done! That's GrammarNazi^3 (which should sound like "O. G. to the 3" in your head), and is why I originally love the Internet.
- autodidakto 14y ago
  The dead horse is the word itself. Words that are mistakenly used to mean their opposites (literally, peruse, etc) so often that newer-and-opposite-meaning becomes normal, make it impossible for a careful speaker to use them at all. What's sad is that those who defend the traditional and more useful meaning are considered Nazis. You already have "figuratively". Use it. Why ruin literally?

Literally broke your mind?

jQueryIsAwesome 14y ago

Be careful there, he said "mind" not "brain". And also, obligatory kxcd: http://xkcd.com/1108/ http://xkcd.com/1108/

sounds 14y ago
http://www.downforeveryoneorjustme.com/imgs.xkcd.com http://www.downforeveryoneorjustme.com/imgs.xkcd.com
- jQueryIsAwesome 14y ago
  Weird, it works from my location. (Colombia)

pretoriusB 14y ago

Yes, literally. People flogging that dead horse fail to realize that a word has many meanings, not always compatible with it's original or primary meaning ("sad gay people", do exist, for example). If they have looked into a recent dictionary, e.g dictionary.com, they would have read, for example: lit·er·al·ly [lit-er-uh-lee] adverb (...) 4.in effect; in substance; very nearly; virtually. Emphasis mine. There's even a usage note: Since the early 20th century, literally has been widely used as an intensifier meaning “in effect, virtually,” a sense that contradicts the earlier meaning “actually, without exaggeration".

rrreese 14y ago
Or section c of this OED entry: http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/109061?redirectedFrom=literally&#38 http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/109061?redirectedFrom=literall...; "c. colloq. Used to indicate that some (freq. conventional) metaphorical or hyperbolical expression is to be taken in the strongest admissible sense: ‘virtually, as good as’; (also) ‘completely, utterly, absolutely’. Now one of the most common uses, although often considered irregular in standard English since it reverses the original sense of literally (‘not figuratively or metaphorically’)." Which is followed by examples dating back to 1769.
- godDLL 14y ago
  I won't usually leave a comment like this, but well done! That's GrammarNazi^3 (which should sound like "O. G. to the 3" in your head), and is why I originally love the Internet.
autodidakto 14y ago
The dead horse is the word itself. Words that are mistakenly used to mean their opposites (literally, peruse, etc) so often that newer-and-opposite-meaning becomes normal, make it impossible for a careful speaker to use them at all. What's sad is that those who defend the traditional and more useful meaning are considered Nazis. You already have "figuratively". Use it. Why ruin literally?