|
I'd think that's still a case of exaggeration, I've never known anyone to literally pull their hair out. That's what makes it clear - context. And of course other things like tone that may not come across well in writing.
|
|
|
|
|
Not to mention saying 'I'm figuratively pulling my hair out' just doesn't carry the same punch and drama to match the mental image of 'pulling my hair out'.
If you think 'goto' is evil, try writing an Assembly program without JMP.
|
|
|
|
|
Nah, if anyone said they had "literally pulled their hair out" I would assume they meant that they had physical wrenched the hair from the follicles. Otherwise, what's the point of the word?
But then there are a number of other words used inappropriately to apply stress to a point.
For example, "absolutely", "incredibly", "awesome".
I do think that the language is losing a lot of its richness because of the lack of imagination of the utterers.
Oh, and I would ban the word "like" when used as a substitute for breathing.
|
|
|
|
|
I actually literally pull my hair out. As you may or may not know, hair follicles go through active and dormant cycles. It's why you wake up in the morning and may see a few hairs on your pillow. All I do is remove those dormant hairs before they wind up clogging the drain or sullying my pillow. I've never pulled my hair out from frustration, as is the typical use of the term tends to suggest.
So now I had to use the term "actually literally" to mean "literally" and not literarily literally.
|
|
|
|
|
But see, given the context, it would be pretty clear you weren't exaggerating. That would be a rather strange to exaggerate about...
|
|
|
|
|
PB 369,783 wrote: Now I don't normally get to pedantic about English,
Grammatical errors like this literally make my blood boil.
/ravi
|
|
|
|
|
faarrrkkkk off! 
|
|
|
|
|
PB 369,783 wrote: particularly gets on my tits
Really? And your complaining about "literally"?
-NP
Never underestimate the creativity of the end-user.
|
|
|
|
|
You're ... oh I get it, you're being ironic.
|
|
|
|
|
Yea, that one is annoying. But how about "virtually". When I see this in advertisements, I always convert to "not".
For example:
"Makes your glasses virtually spot free" = "Makes your glasses *not* spot free"
"Virtually unstoppable" = "Not unstoppable"
"Virtually the best you can buy" = "Not the best you can buy"
etc.
|
|
|
|
|
Tom Clement wrote: "Virtually unstoppable" = "Not unstoppable"
That only means it can be overridden to be stoppable.
I'm brazilian and english (well, human languages in general) aren't my best skill, so, sorry by my english. (if you want we can speak in C# or VB.Net =p)
"Given the chance I'd rather work smart than work hard." - PHS241
"'Sophisticated platform' typically means 'I have no idea how it works.'"
|
|
|
|
|
This seems on topic... Your signature should read:
I'm brazilian and eEnglish (well, human languages in general) aren't my best skill, so, sorry by for my eEnglish. (if you want we can speak in C# or VB.Net =p)
Your nationality should probably start with a capital too (ie "Brazilian"), but if you ask me it's a common noun so it makes sense to start with a lowercase letter. "English" as in "The English Language" is a proper noun though, and capitalizing the word would also help parse the sentence.
Disclaimer: I'm not a native English speaker either. Also, if your signature is tongue-in-cheek then it's all right.
|
|
|
|
|
Clearly, here "Virtually" = "Almost". Which in context also means practically or actually.
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.-John Q. Adams
You must accept one of two basic premises: Either we are alone in the universe, or we are not alone in the universe. And either way, the implications are staggering.-Wernher von Braun
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.-Albert Einstein
|
|
|
|
|
You're no fun Ahmed 
|
|
|
|
|
Brilliant!
So virtually indistructable means literally almost indistructable.
I love English.
But it does suffer as a means of communication.
On the other hand, what fun is it if there isn't enough ambiguity to play with??
The French go to great extreemes to keep their language pure, but I do not think that appropriate.
But at it's core - all communication worth having is art and thus must be beautiful, whimsical, inventive, sometimes informitave, and yes - ambiguous in measure.
|
|
|
|
|
Indeed. Veritably so!
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.-John Q. Adams
You must accept one of two basic premises: Either we are alone in the universe, or we are not alone in the universe. And either way, the implications are staggering.-Wernher von Braun
Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former.-Albert Einstein
|
|
|
|
|
Virtually so
|
|
|
|
|
PB 369,783 wrote: "We literally shat ourselves" for example. I'm off home as this has wound me up.
Next time just wear your brown pants[^] and you won't have to go home to change.
Did you ever see history portrayed as an old man with a wise brow and pulseless heart, waging all things in the balance of reason?
Is not rather the genius of history like an eternal, imploring maiden, full of fire, with a burning heart and flaming soul, humanly warm and humanly beautiful?
--Zachris Topelius
Training a telescope on one’s own belly button will only reveal lint. You like that? You go right on staring at it. I prefer looking at galaxies.
-- Sarah Hoyt
|
|
|
|
|
PB 369,783 wrote: I'm off home as this has literally wound me up.
FTFY
What me worry?
|
|
|
|
|
|
I thing its terribly good. 
Wisdom is to see the things as they really are.
|
|
|
|
|
Grammar and vocabularies are snapshots in time. The human language does not evolve from committee. If it did, we would all still be using those silly British spellings for words.
|
|
|
|
|
Yes I agree with the language evolving, what I don't agree with is a word that is now ambiguous when it's sole purpose is to clear up ambiguity. If I was actually pulling my hair out I would say 'I'm literally pulling my hair out', now however that sentence doesn't tell you whether I am or not.
|
|
|
|
|
Well..., the dictionary is wrong, people are wrong, google is wrong, internet is wrong. I ONLY use "literally" for the literal sense and so should everyone else.
That's the thing with slang and casual conversation. It's what sticks with us the most, and sometimes the wrong thing sticks. I used to say... "don't got no money for this..." which sounds like I have no money for this, but since it's double negative, I'm actually saying I DO have money.
|
|
|
|
|
For your own sanity I'd recommend that you'd consider the precedence of this misuse of English.
I've seen the words change meaning within the context of the same sentence.
|
|
|
|
General 
News 
Suggestion 
Question 
Bug 
Answer 
Joke 
Praise 
Rant 
Admin 
Submit an article or tip
