Linguistic Hit List, Part V: The Literally Figurative Edition
By Mitch Berg
Watching yesterday’s saturation coverage of the Kacey Anthony case, I watched a piece on “the nation’s reaction to the verdict”.
The reporter – NBC’s Jeff Rosson – mentioned that he was in the airport when the verdict was read. And he said “People were literally glued to the TV”.
No. People were figuratively glued to the TV. Nobody was physically adhered to a screen.
It’s time for misuse of “literally” to be, figuratively, killed with fire.
Or maybe literally.
July 8th, 2011 at 7:41 am
This post literally speaks volumes about Berg’s English major.
July 8th, 2011 at 7:48 am
We are the chorus. And we agree.
July 8th, 2011 at 8:12 am
What do you expect from a guy who went to pulick skule?
July 8th, 2011 at 8:49 am
It’s possible, Mitch. I could picture a particularly slack-jawed couch potato being lightly doused with mucilage, then tripping over the area rug and falling onto the television set. You can’t completely rule it out.
July 8th, 2011 at 9:13 am
Barack Obama just claime “we have created 2 million jobs in the last 16 months”. Considering unemployment just went up to 9.2%, I wonder if he meant that literally or figuratively.
July 8th, 2011 at 11:41 am
“The last time I went scuba diving I saw a shark! I was literally on the edge of my seat!”
July 8th, 2011 at 1:15 pm
Also: “hot water heater” and “Could care less”