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Mon 19 Jun, 2006 02:03 pm
Okay...i might have put this in the 'english usage pet peeves' thread, but i didn't want to. I'm feeling quite ornery today so there.
Now, today and on frequent occasions past I hear people useing the 1 word 'phrase' "literally" in situations when it's obvious, if you're listening, that the thing they just said couldn't possibly be 'literal' at all.
I know this is a group of very intelligent people, so I most likely don't need to go into this example, but for those that might be from elsewhere on the web and not used to the high level of intelligence herein, I'll flesh out an example of 'correct' usage of the above.
Picture someone making a blanket or something like that in the likeness of money, and in order to do this, they have to take 1 piece of fabric in their fist and grab another piece by extending the free hand OVER that clenched fist full of fabric - and this process repeats. I, with my drybones sense of humor, would most likely say "hey girl, you're making money HAND OVER FIST", then they in turn would say "yeah, literally" because the phrase I just used is, in this example, quite literal based on the blanket and the hand movements.
Following me? I knew you would be....
Today at work this girl, who I can't tell at this point if she's really a dull bulb or not, is conversing with another girl, who's a bright sort. The bright girl says "hey, i won't ask you, you're in your own world". The undetermined-level-of-intelligence girl says "I know, hahahah, literally"
I realize I react to this only because it's a great pet peeve of mine, but inside i was screaming "you [undetermined-level-of-intelligence-here] girl, that is NOT a time to use the word "literally"
Obviously the girl is living inthe very same world as I am, we all are, and i'm not talking an existential other-plane other-reality crap right now either...
Is there one that would disagree with me? Am I wrong in my thinking?
Literally.
From a strictly figurative point of view, understand.
Amen. Here's a sort of reverse example:
The other day I was talking to a friend who was describing to me a speech she had to give to a large audience. She said she was so nervous that she was "literally shaking."
Of course you were literally shaking, because that's the only way you can shake. You can't shake figuratively. For Chrissake, don't use "literally" if you're describing something in words that can't be interpreted any other way but literally.
One can shake in one's figurative boots, however.
Re: If you don't know how to use the expression...don't use
onyxelle wrote:Obviously the girl is living inthe very same world as I am, we all are, and i'm not talking an existential other-plane other-reality crap right now either...
How about philosophy? We could have a go at Solipsism....
DrewDad wrote:One can shake in one's figurative boots, however.
Are you sure that's not "one can figuratively shake in one's boots"? Are there figurative boots? Well, I guess there are--one can "get the [figurative] boot," as I did when I... well, nevermind. (But then, is that really getting the figurative boot, or is that figuratively getting the boot?)
Shapeless wrote:DrewDad wrote:One can shake in one's figurative boots, however.
Are you sure that's not "one can figuratively shake in one's boots"? Are there figurative boots? Well, I guess there are--one can "get the [figurative] boot," as I did when I... well, nevermind. (But then, is that really getting the figurative boot, or is that figuratively getting the boot?)
If I were barefoot, and controlling my physical manifestations of fear, I could be figuratively shaking in my boots.
Re: If you don't know how to use the expression...don't use
DrewDad wrote:onyxelle wrote:Obviously the girl is living inthe very same world as I am, we all are, and i'm not talking an existential other-plane other-reality crap right now either...
How about philosophy? We could have a go at Solipsism....
no. we cannot.
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