I am literally steaming!

[Nuts]

No I'm not sitting in a pot of boiling water, but that's what a literal translation of the thread title might indicate. The term "literal" or "literally" is intended to convey literal translation. Yet for some reason people insist on using it as an exclamatory adverb, as if it adds meaning to their words.

It literally blew his mind! (Was he in an air tunnel with his inner psyche exposed?)
I am literally going to kick your ass! (Wouldn't you rather punch me in the face?)
He is literally out of his f*cking mind! (That's an interesting trick indeed.)

These are examples of fallacious uses of the term "literal(ly.)" Why am I posting this? Because it literally pisses me off (just kidding.) But seriously, it's such a common mistake even though the meaning is so very clear. If you asked a dozen people what the word "literal" meant, I'll bet that 10 or more would answer correctly. Yet most of those people don't think twice to use it as an exclamatory. Why do we do this, hell if I know?

Anyway, this has been "Nuts' pet peeve of the day."

Thank you for your time. :)

[Markpyro]

I normally do not use it in that sense, I only use "literally" when I truly mean something after using a normally exaggerated phrase, like " he got, like, a 45% on that test... literally!"
But yes, this tends to get a bit on my nerves, but doesnt bother me that much.

[Modred]

Heh, many of my friends use "literally" to throw people off when they're being sarcastic. Of course, that assumes the person understands the use of the word...

[Neo]

Nuts you literally need a chill pill!

Is it really that big of a problem around you? I can think of much more interesting things to use then "literal/ly" as an exclamatory word... thingy.

-Neo

[hammocksleeper]

Haha yeah I have lots of pet peeves like that as well, but I tend to let them slide, as it just makes my SAT scores and cover letters look that much better in comparison :)

[Nuts]

Actually, it's not a local problem, but a national epidemic. ;)

Katie Couric said to Kofi Annan, pharaphrased "you literally have the weight of the world on your shoulders," to which Kofi replied, "yes I do."

I saw this on an advertisement for the Today show and I almost fell off my treadmill. :smirk:

[bluemicrobyte]

I don't hear the word "literally" very often, but I can see how that misuse could literally get on someones nerves. (just kidding :P)

[Whiteknight]

2.
3. Usage Problem.
1. Really; actually: “There are people in the world who literally do not know how to boil water” (Craig Claiborne).
2. Used as an intensive before a figurative expression.

Usage Note: For more than a hundred years, critics have remarked on the incoherency of using literally in a way that suggests the exact opposite of its primary sense of “in a manner that accords with the literal sense of the words.” In 1926, for example, H.W. Fowler cited the example “The 300,000 Unionists... will be literally thrown to the wolves.” The practice does not stem from a change in the meaning of literally itselfif it did, the word would long since have come to mean “virtually” or “figuratively”but from a natural tendency to use the word as a general intensive, as in They had literally no help from the government on the project, where no contrast with the figurative sense of the words is intended.

Well, it's widespread enough that the usage problem made it into the dictionary. I don't really care too much about it. It's just another word that exclamates the statement. If you care about things like this then you should care about words like "like" when used "there were like 1000 of them!"

[Schwitzer]

Ah, well I use "literally" a bit, but I use it how it should be used.

So yeah... your thread title did seem to advertise far more amusement than it delivered ;)

[Kazansky]

My cousin uses that term a lot... I, however, NEVER use it... at all... I say the words "Po hooy" more in one day than I say li.. li.... lit... literrally... how was it spelled again?

[Draix]

Eh same could be said about "Love" and "Hate"

Love = You could never dislike this person/thing
Hate = You could never like this person/thing

Both words are never used correctly because in a sense you could never like someone no matter what nor could you dislike someone no matter what.