possibly annoying kvetch

[fflo]

Quoth Senator Mitch McConnell (Republican, Kentucky): "This is a dangerous piece of legislation. It is constitutionally dubious, and it would authorize a scattered band of United States Senators to literally tie the hands of the Commander-in-Chief at a moment of decisive importance in the fight against terrorism in Iraq."

There are plenty of jokes one could make about the scattered Senators roping Dubya. And, yes, I know I'm a prescriptivist jerk caring about "literally." But, in addition to there being no other single word (I know of) that does what "literally" does for us (so we'll be hurting if we lose it) (sure, only a tiny bit, but some! right?), there's a factor in this kind of misuse of it that pushes hot water up to the inside of my ears & pressures it to come steaming out: this particular misuse is using the word to mean the exact opposite of what it means. Senator McConnell means figuratively. You know? But "figuratively" doesn't seem to provide emphasis, I guess, which is what's really desired. In fact it probably seems wimpy, admitting openly to ("mere") figures of speech. So being not fully literate but good'n'emphatic is better, at least in tough-guy politics.

I know, I know. The word's been on its way to meaning "really really" for quite a while, and I might as well get used to it.

Sometimes the unintended meaning is kinda fun, at least. Like in this example. Or when the radio announcer, years ago, said a certain pitcher, having recovered from elbow surgery, "literally came back from the dead to pitch for the St. Louis Cardinals."

Comments

[peteralway.livejournal.com]

My family literally cremated my parents!

The first time I heard "literally" abused, it was a freind who was absolutely bonkers for Johannes Brahms. There is a story of another great musician who, on hearing Brahms's music, proclaimed "Hats off, gentleman, a genius!"

My friend told me that after this event, Brahms was "literally shitting bricks."

This image has troubled me for a quarter century now. If he hadn't used the word "literally," the conversation would have been completely forgotten. Or even if I had been acclimated to the use of the word. But I was working through levels of literalness (they must not have been fired yet? Oh, maybe he was just constipated? Was he eating clay as an old folk remedy to alleviate indegestion caused by the stress?)

So, changing the subject, here is a different line from a different friend, printed in a self-published magazine

"This photo is rather unique, being one of only several..."

And I'm still steaming about "N-year anniversary" instead of "Nth anniversary" every time I hear it.

But not literally steaming.

[paperkingdoms]

That particular mis-use bothers me, too.

[queerbychoice.livejournal.com]

Ha! Yes, I think the words people are usually looking for when they abuse "literally" are "practically" or "for all practical purposes." And then there's always "actually," which is supposed to be quite similar in meaning to "literally" but has already been abused to the point that it's basically ceased to mean anything anymore.

[vjsmom.livejournal.com]

I repeated the esteemed senator's remarks to my 8-year-old (that'd be Jeff) and asked him what he thought they meant. He thought that the legislation (okay, I did explain that legislation meant a possible law) would have W put in handcuffs. I like the image. Literally.

[disclaimerwill.livejournal.com]

I refuse to accept that this use of "literally" is just an evolution of the language. Refuse, I tell you! Luckily, I think there are enough of us who are bothered by it that it won't ever change fully...

I hate to constantly refer to Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee in your journal (or at least, I hate to do so in such a gleeful fashion), but Ms. Lee commits some of the most interesting abuses of that word I've ever heard. She doesn't even go for the usual approach of using "literally" to mean exactly the opposite of what it means: she just throws it into sentences with zero regard for context, like it's the default adverb in her programming. That is, she'll say things like, "I want you to literally add two eggs to the mixture," or, "I literally love Mexican food." It's interesting to think about what the figurative meanings of these sentences would be.

She also referred to France as "The City of Lights," though that's really not relevant here.