He was commenting on the (mis)use of "literal", which, in the english language, has shifted it's meaning from "taking words in their usual or most basic sense w

He was commenting on the (mis)use of "literal", which, in the english language, has shifted it's meaning from "taking words in their usual or most basic sense without metaphor or allegory" - to it's new (recent) sense which is used to "emphasize strongly this metaphor/allegory."