Overuse of the word "Literally"

Quote: Face

LOL glad I'm not the only one with crazy language anger. "Supposably" gets my goat pretty good, as does "irregardless".

Malapropisms are mostly funny rather than annoying. Some of my favoties are:

For all intensive purposes
Statue of limitations
Penile code (I swear I've seen it used)
Vunerable

Pleonasms, too. Like "ATM Machine," "PIN Number," and in Spanish "Banco BBVA Bancomer" (the last means "Banco Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria Banco de Comercio").

They're like literally hilarious, :)

Quote: DorothyGale

Quote: Doc

Edit: I just remembered one of my college friends from several decades ago telling me about an incident that took place in an English class. They were beginning their study of Dante's Inferno, and the professor said, "Today we are going to hell. Well ... literally."

Maybe your friend misheard the professor, the word "literarily" fits ...

This was in the deep south -- Georgia. The words "literally" and "literarily" cannot be distinguished when spoken; they are both said something like "liturrurly". But with a bit more slurring. I didn't know how best to present that in typed text, so I just used your gripe word.

Hey, I used it earlier today but only because it was the word I meant. I was referring to statman having reached his expiration date both literally and figuratively; I meant to say that he was past his prime in real life (if he was who he said he was) and he'd outlived his presence here on the forum as well.

I hate the word being used cavalierly, too. But it's still a perfectly good word when used as it should be used.

Quote:

'When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, 'it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.'

'The question is,' said Alice, 'whether you can make words mean so many different things.'

'The question is,' said Humpty Dumpty, 'which is to be master — that's all.'

Quote: ahiromu

"Could care less" when they mean to say "couldn't care less" is mine.

I agree. Mine is when people say "all day" at the end of any sentence.

"I raise $25 all day." (around a poker table) Really? You're gonna do that all day, huh?

Idiots.

All these "this or that English thing when it's overused/misused " are a bit OT in my humble opinion (and I did start this thread ...), the point is not what we like or don't like, the point is the frequency of its use. For example, "couldn't care less" or "could care less" -- sure I catch that one and listen for it every time someone says that, but maybe once a month or something ... gerunds, yeah, but you guys just don't get it, open your ears, the word "literally" is everywhere, everybody's saying it multiple times a day ... it'll blow your mind when you start making a point of listening for it, like taking the red pill ...

--Ms. D.

Quote: DorothyGale

I am so sick of hearing people use the word "literally" ... just sick of it ... don't use the word, ever, please!!! ... really, I promise you, if you open your ears to how often it is used, you will be amazed at how many people are linguistic zombies ...

--Ms. D.

Doesn't anybody on this forum watch the show "Parks and Recreation?" Rob Lowe's character uses the word 'literally' every few sentences. It's absolutely hysterical, since some of his literally's are disgusting to think about.

Literally, it's the funniest show on TV....

I can't say I've noticed a general overuse of the word "literally," but then I suspect it could be a regional thing.

I have noticed that in Portland people say "perfect!" way too often.

Quote: Tiltpoul

Literally, it's the funniest show on TV....

Its definitely one of the funniest. Watching it right now.

The majority of the people that I have conversations with are not the type to overuse the word "literally"... or perhaps to even use the word at all.

However, in the past, I was familiar with a person who did the use the word. It wasn't the word itself that really bothered me. It was the fact that the word was used in conjunction with superlatives.

"That was literally the best sandwich in the world."
"I am literally starving to death."
"They are literally the dumbest people in the universe."

I dislike the use of superlatives anyway, but combining them with the L word, as though the usage of such adds some sort of justification, makes it much worse.

Man, I thought the "literally" thing was out of hand 8 years ago.

The most recent annoyance? Using "impact" in lieu of the perfectly good word "affect".

Overall social violence is way down in a number of ways, but lately I've been receiving more "impacts" than a two-dollar whore
gets when the swabbies are on shore leave (I don't mean this literally, of course).