I think anyone who uses the word “literally” to mean anything other than “in a literal sense” is a moron who never actually thinks about what the words coming out of their mouth mean, and I always will.
Comment on I definitely never unsubscribed from a YouTube channel just for that...
lauha@lemmy.one 1 month agoTheory meaning “unproven assumption” is one of the definitions in Merriam-Webster so it is not a new definition.
You’re just angry word means something you don’t want it to mean. Just like the literally-figuratively crowd.
Ilovethebomb@lemm.ee 1 month ago
Jiggle_Physics@lemmy.world 1 month ago
People who do not seem to understand that language is different than they wish it to be, are the actual morons. Not only morons, but pampas morons. Language is messy, imprecise, and always in flux. Language is a construct of the collective of its speakers, not you alone, nor anyone else. This is why we have specific lexicons for various industries, and academic fields. Even those are constantly being updated, and revised.
gandalf_der_12te@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 weeks ago
Language is […] always in flux
And, more importantly, I will use language as I please; I don’t have to justify my use of words to anyone. That is why I don’t see why people complain about using words “the wrong way”. Even if it is, I will still insist on my right to produce whatever gibberish my mouth is willing to put forward.
Jiggle_Physics@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
Yeah, as long as everyone involved understands what is being said I am fine with it.
kaffiene@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
The use of literal to mean figurative has been common for hundreds of years (literally). If it’s good enough for James Joyce, it’s good enough for you
flora_explora@beehaw.org 1 month ago
You hate so much on people that use literally this way, but are do the same thing yourself…
Moron is a term once used in psychology and psychiatry to denote mild intellectual disability. The term was closely tied with the American eugenics movement. Once the term became popularized, it fell out of use by the psychological community, as it was used more commonly as an insult than as a psychological term. It is similar to imbecile and idiot.
Dyskolos@lemmy.zip 1 month ago
He’s right. You’re righter
joyjoy@lemm.ee 1 month ago
To be perfectly fair, you can’t “prove” or “disprove” a theory. You can only discover new evidence that supports the theory or another competing theory. Multiple competing theories can be equally accepted as correct.
Tlaloc_Temporal@lemmy.ca 1 month ago
The issue is people using exactly that definition to reject science. We also have a theory of gravity, but gravity itself is an observation. Evolution should be too, regardless of our theories about it.
Also, String Theory isn’t doing anyone any favors.
rtxn@lemmy.world 1 month ago
If you consider misuse to be a valid form of etymology, I have a question to axe.
Jiggle_Physics@lemmy.world 1 month ago
The aks variant pronunciation of ask is fine. It is part of a dialect.
kaffiene@lemmy.world 5 weeks ago
It’s not gross misuse, it’s how the word work in common use.