These words were uttered recently on the reality show known as Momma’s Boys. Does anyone see what’s wrong with this sentence? If you don’t, then you’ve been using the word “literally” wrong all this time. It’s not hard. Let’s learn.
From dictionary.com:
literally-adv.- 1. in the literal or strict sense 2. in a literal manner; word for word 3. actually; without exaggerration or inacuracy 4. in effect; in substance; very nearly; virtually.
Now, don’t let definition number four lull you into a false sense of security. It is not correct to say that your heart was literally beating out of your chest unless it really was (in which case you should probably quit talking about it and get yourself to the hospital). A basketball player is not literally twelve feet tall when he’s only 6′4″. Your cat, despite her death defying capers, does not literally have nine lives.
I love a good hyperbole (extreme exaggerration) as much as the next English major, but when you’re hyperbolizing, it simply doesn’t do to tack on a “literally,” because that just nulls the whole literary device.
That you might be able to say this from the virtualy highest point in creation! I recently heard a supposedly literate radio commentator speak of how a particular subject was “literally” driving her crazy. I considered that if it were true it could be used as basically an insanity plea in defense against the charges that could be brought for misusage.
Comment by Norman Dale — May 20, 2009 @ 3:16 pm |