3 ms·
Literally?
by hughw 12y ago
Literally?
- skywhopper 12y agoI have to drive through six inches of crude every time I go to the market, don't you?
- vidarh 12y agoLiterally means figuratively too now, didn't you get the memo? (yes, I agree it's annoying, though I've probably done it myself more than once).
- deleted 12y ago[deleted]
- eCa 12y agoWebster's: "Since some people take sense 2 to be the opposite of sense 1, it has been frequently criticized as a misuse. Instead, the use is pure hyperbole intended to gain emphasis, but it often appears in contexts where no additional emphasis is necessary." [1] [1] http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literally http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literally
- hughw 12y agoThank you for looking that up and providing the reference. The M-W argument is flawed when the bit that "literally" modifies already is hyperbole. "Abuse of language sends me through the roof" is hyperbole. "Abuse of language literally sends me through the roof" is just ridiculous. (Edited to clarify)
- baddox 12y agoUsing the word that way, in parentheses, is not something I have ever encountered when intending to express hyperbole.