OT: Literally

[calsnowskier]

Have we literally broken the English language? | Martha Gill | Comment is free | theguardian.com

 

[moxie]

As Google puts it, "literally" can be used "to acknowledge that something is not literally true but is used for emphasis or to express strong feeling".

Oh, HELL no! WTF does Google think it is? Merriam Webster?? GTFO. This pisses me off.

 

[calsnowskier]

I guess I need to change my sig to read...

"I literally go insane every time someone misuses the word "literally". "

That would actually fit now, although it wouldn't apply very often since people would rarely be misusing the word anymore.

 

[msgkings322]

Oh, HELL no! WTF does Google think it is? Merriam Webster?? GTFO. This pisses me off.

Of course, the language is always changing. Merriam Webster probably didn't allow "pisses me off" some time not too long ago. Now THAT'S irony.

 

[calsnowskier]

Next, they will make "Should of" the proper term.

Changing the language to appease the ignorant is the WRONG direction to go.

 

[msgkings322]

Next, they will make "Should of" the proper term.

Changing the language to appease the ignorant is the WRONG direction to go.

Man, half of what we type here would have been incomprehensible not that far back.
The language changes all by itself, always has.

 

[calsnowskier]

Man, half of what we type here would have been incomprehensible not that far back.
The language changes all by itself, always has.

Adding LOL, BRB, BFF is one thing.

Accepting "literally" or "would of" are different things all together!




AND GET OFF MY DAMN LAWN!!!!

 

[moxie]

Of course, the language is always changing. Merriam Webster probably didn't allow "pisses me off" some time not too long ago. Now THAT'S irony.

I was thisclose to saying "pisses me off... but not literally" hehehe

It does really annoy and bother me though. I will also continue to correct people on their usage IRL.

This one got me good & riled up awhile back:

(Girl on the phone): OMG! I literally killed myself at the gym yesterday.

Me: Excuse me, but no. No, you did not "literally" kill yourself at the gym yesterday.

For me, this one is right up there with, "I could care less"
It's "I COULDN'T"!!!! If you could care less, then DO IT!

 

[Heathbar012]

Auto-correct is defiantly killing definitely due to a lack of spelling prowess. For more information on the future, consult this documentary:

 

[calsnowskier]

Auto-correct is defiantly killing definitely due to a lack of spelling prowess. For more information on the future, consult this documentary:

GREAT movie. Well, actually, the movie sucked, but the concept behind the movie is awesome...


I always smile at "defiantly", but I know that is an autocorrect issue, so I don't get too worked up over that one...

 

[Heathbar012]

GREAT movie. Well, actually, the movie sucked, but the concept behind the movie is awesome...


I always smile at "defiantly", but I know that is an autocorrect issue, so I don't get too worked up over that one...

It becomes "acceptable" because it is kind of funny, and it works (somewhat). I defiantly think so. The fact that it stems from ignorance gets lost in the shuffle. I know exactly what the person typed, why they typed it and why it came out as a completely different, correctly spelled word. Language is fun. I need to learn Mandarin (and get better at Spanish), but that is a discussion for another time.

 

[calsnowskier]

I agree that there is plenty of fun to be had with language (re-sign vs resign, trim vs trim, etc), and autocorrect can be amusing as hell.

But changing the definition of a word because of idiocy just drives me figuratively (now literally) insane.

 

[Heathbar012]

I agree that there is plenty of fun to be had with language (re-sign vs resign, trim vs trim, etc), and autocorrect can be amusing as hell.

But changing the definition of a word because of idiocy just drives me figuratively (now literally) insane.

I get it. It is frustrating. I'm hoping the co-opting of nerd culture will lead to smart being cool, but that probably isn't very likely. Sterilization of dummies seems more likely.

 

[JDM]

I was thisclose to saying "pisses me off... but not literally" hehehe

It does really annoy and bother me though. I will also continue to correct people on their usage IRL.

This one got me good & riled up awhile back:

(Girl on the phone): OMG! I literally killed myself at the gym yesterday.

Me: Excuse me, but no. No, you did not "literally" kill yourself at the gym yesterday.

For me, this one is right up there with, "I could care less"
It's "I COULDN'T"!!!! If you could care less, then DO IT!

You don't even care enough to say it correctly. Seems expressive enough to me.

 

[calsnowskier]

You don't even care enough to say it correctly. Seems expressive enough to me.

Nice...

If, when pressed, someone answered with that comeback, I would be OK with it...

 

[JDM]

I don't say either. But that one doesn't bother me. Literally does. Some others do too.

 

[calsnowskier]

I don't say either. But that one doesn't bother me. Literally does. Some others do too.

Already mentioned earlier in this thread, but my main two are "literally" and "would/should have".

I just believe that you have a MAX IQ of about 74 if you get either of those wrong...

 

[moxie]

You don't even care enough to say it correctly. Seems expressive enough to me.

Expressive and stupid.

 

[Mays-Fan]

Already mentioned earlier in this thread, but my main two are "literally" and "would/should have".

I just believe that you have a MAX IQ of about 74 if you get either of those wrong...

OK, it's literally time for this:

[YOUTUBE]YxtEYFYd-MY[/YOUTUBE]

Literally.