7
   

Fine-Tuning 7, Literally/Virtually

 
 
Roberta
 
Reply Tue 20 May, 2003 12:52 am
Literally means actually or truly. Virtually means nearly or almost.

Dinner was more expensive than I had expected. It took virtually all my cash. I had only enough left for carfare home. (OK)

Dinner was more expensive than I had expected. I took literally all my cash. I had only enough left for carefare home. (Wrong. If it took literally all your money, you had nothing left for carfare or anything else.)
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Type: Discussion • Score: 7 • Views: 3,399 • Replies: 13
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Piffka
 
  1  
Reply Tue 20 May, 2003 06:11 am
Do people make this mistake often? I don't think I've ever used this interchangably, but I have <hanging head in shame> used "literally" just for fun or to add emphasis or (OK, you got me), to exaggerate a story. I will surely refrain from this in the future. Wink
0 Replies
 
New Haven
 
  1  
Reply Tue 20 May, 2003 06:15 am
I've never used "virtually".
0 Replies
 
Walter Hinteler
 
  1  
Reply Tue 20 May, 2003 06:31 am
I'm virtually certain that I never thought about the possibilty to mix these words up. :wink:
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Roberta
 
  1  
Reply Tue 20 May, 2003 06:45 am
Maybe I've hallucinated all those people I've heard saying literally when they mean virtually. The mistake rarely happens the other way around. I recall someone saying, "I literally hit the ceiling when I got the bill." I envisioned one of those adjustable chairs zipping high above our heads.

Piffka, If you want to make a point, please don't let me stand in your way.
0 Replies
 
bobsmyth
 
  1  
Reply Tue 20 May, 2003 06:50 am
Fine-Tuning 7, Literally/Virtually
Hey Piffka don't feel bad. Don't you remeber your mother saying I've told you a million times not to exaggerate.
0 Replies
 
Piffka
 
  1  
Reply Tue 20 May, 2003 06:50 am
No, no, I'm going to hold myself back!

Y'know, if someone had asked me prior to reading this fine-tuning point, Roberta, I'd have said that 'literally' meant that which was real and 'virtually' was that which seemed real and was not. Virtual reality... for example.
0 Replies
 
Piffka
 
  1  
Reply Tue 20 May, 2003 06:52 am
Re: Fine-Tuning 7, Literally/Virtually
bobsmyth wrote:
Hey Piffka don't feel bad. Don't you remeber your mother saying I've told you a million times not to exaggerate.



LOL Embarrassed

.... and I may have been that mother!
0 Replies
 
Roberta
 
  2  
Reply Tue 20 May, 2003 05:26 pm
Hi Piffka, You made my day. You learned something from me. Smile I think that "virtual reality" has obscured the original meaning of the word virtual.

C'mon, no more red faces.
0 Replies
 
tsarstepan
 
  2  
Reply Mon 30 Dec, 2013 04:36 pm
http://www.twogag.com/comics/2011-06-03-TGAG_003_Sentence.jpg
http://inkoutbreak.com/inkr.php?comic=70f7704efda070e6bdc008ae0ba6f619&amp;bimg=20120827094530_Guy-Rain-rectangle.gif
0 Replies
 
InfraBlue
 
  1  
Reply Mon 30 Dec, 2013 05:20 pm
bookmark
JTT
 
  -4  
Reply Mon 30 Dec, 2013 05:50 pm
@InfraBlue,
See how these old canards hang on, Infra. 2013

Roberta is wrong. 2003

I suspect that she has been passing on this error
for some time.
JTT
 
  0  
Reply Mon 30 Dec, 2013 07:38 pm
@JTT,
http://i.word.com/idictionary/literally

And the really crazy thing is, all one has to do is check a dictionary
0 Replies
 
JTT
 
  -1  
Reply Thu 2 Jan, 2014 09:04 pm
Signature
If that's wrong, you can assume other stuff is wrong too. -- Roberta
0 Replies
 
 

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