The new meaning of literal will literally kill you...

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Boffo97

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Dave
I have a little Grammar Nazi inside of me, as many of us do. It doesn't come out much on here (although I do get my hackles up when someone says could of, should of or would of when they mean have instead of of.)

Another of my little pet peeves is what I thought until recently was misuse of the word literal or literally. I had always been taught that literally should only be used when something was literally true and not to express emphasis of a metaphor.

But apparently, a definition has been added to the word by dictionaries to now make it proper to use it as emphasis for a metaphor. As an example, here's the 4th definition of the word from dictionary.com:

in effect; in substance; very nearly; virtually:
I literally died when she walked out on stage in that costume.

It's actually pretty interesting to me... it's almost the only case I've known of where a word's definition was altered to mean the exact opposite of what it should mean. The only other case I know of is "bad" meaning "good" in 80's slang, but this really isn't a case of slang.
 

-X-

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That's dumb. It shouldn't be that way.
Everytime I hear someone say, "I literally ....", my first response is, "Yeah? Literally? You LITERALLY laughed your ass off? Your ass is now removed from your body?"
 

RamFan503

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The only other case I know of is "bad" meaning "good" in 80's slang, but this really isn't a case of slang.
That's just sick!

BTW - Dictionary.com? Gonna rate that crap right up there with Urban Dictionary and Wikipedia. One defines modern terms NOT literal terms, the other allows for some smudging of the facts. If this is Dictionary.com's definition, they are literally an unacceptable source.
 

CodeMonkey

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Can we just scratch the word "figuratively" then? After all, they literally mean the same thing now.
 

RamFan503

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And another thing (think this pisses me off just maybe?) What is wrong with words like virtually, and figuratively? Too many words for people to have to know? Yeah - that's what we need. Let's change the definition of a word because people are too lazy to learn what it means. Here's a tip. If you don't know what a word means, don't fucking use it.
 

-X-

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Oh, and the next person I hear say "Supposebly" is getting punched in the ear.
 

Dodgersrf

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The nation is dumbing down.
Which probably isn't even a word or term, though should be.
 

Boffo97

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  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #8
At least it remains inappropriate to refer to one's opinion as "objective" or "fact" simply because one strongly believes in said opinion... for now.

Oh, and the next person I hear say "Supposebly" is getting punched in the ear.
You're going to run out of parts to punch people in.

But save some for "all intensive purposes" and "receiver core".
 

Thordaddy

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I have a renter who says things like this when she sends texts. "can you fix are refrigerator ,it isn't working "
 

fearsomefour

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Their, there, they're.
Many, many grown ass people who have been speaking, writing, texting, emailing for decades still can't keep these straight.
Makes me nuts.
But, the only acceptable boo-boos are mine.
 

-X-

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Their, there, they're.
Many, many grown ass people who have been speaking, writing, texting, emailing for decades still can't keep these straight.
Makes me nuts.
But, the only acceptable boo-boos are mine.
to and too are also hangups of mine.
 

RamFan503

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I have a renter who says things like this when she sends texts. "can you fix are refrigerator ,it isn't working "
Then fix the freakin refrigerator yuh slumlord! You should of saw that coming - eh?
 

RamFan503

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Need to rename the thread and make sure it is required reading or at least stickied. That way no one has to be that guy but others can gets them some learnin'.
 

Thordaddy

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Stu chided:

Then fix the freakin refrigerator yuh slumlord! You should of saw that coming - eh?

TD replied:
Oh this isn't one of the slum properties, this is a two bedroom duplex electric garage door formal dining room ,nice place ,I'm evicting her and her brood tomorrow for late payment of rent and violation of the no pet policy.
 

RmsLegends

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I have a renter who says things like this when she sends texts. "can you fix are refrigerator ,it isn't working "

That would bug me as well when the correct way to say it would be..........................can ya fix the ice box it ain't workin ;)