4 ms·

The use of "literally" in a title about using a new metaphor to understand something is... regrettable.

• dragonwriter 12y ago
  Its not a metaphor. "Epidemic" is a description of how something behaves, not the mechanism by which it acheives that effect.
• dang 12y ago
  The word "literally" does not appear in the article. The submitted title ("Incarceration is literally an epidemic, says Science") was editorialized, so we reverted it to the article title. Submitters: please read the HN guidelines. They ask you not to change titles unless they're linkbait or misleading.
  • slackware 12y ago
    Because... you're not a misleading person yourself, right?
    • dang 12y ago
      I try not to be. Did you have something specific in mind?
• sebular 12y ago
  If this is your main takeaway, it's your values and priorities that are regrettable. Could you be any less constructive?
• steveklabnik 12y ago
  Literally also means figuratively (in effect, virtually) now, see definition two: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literally http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literally
  • sosborn 12y ago
    Can we please all get together and stop this? The only reason that this was allowed to happen is that a bunch of idiots used the world "literally" incorrectly. It won't be long before "must of" gets into the dictionary along with "prolly".
    • nikatwork 12y ago
      Forsooth knave, thou dost not graspeth that ye Englyshe language doth ever evolve over yon ages. Let it not vex you. English is a living language, that's why we don't still speak in Chaucer's Middle English [1]. If you want a perfectly static language, learn Latin. http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/canterbury-tales-wife-baths-prologue-excerpt http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/canterbury-tales-wife-bat...