Submitted 8 months ago by FreshParsnip@lemmy.ca to rant@lemmy.sdf.org
A player on Big Brother said that both her parents ran track and so she was “literally born on the track”. Unless your mother went into labour on the track and gave birth right there, you were not literally born on the track!
Yes, I think it’s a pretty common pet peeve.
Literally me.
What’s “the word” and does it make you literally so angry?
I thought this title said The world literally makes me so irrationally angry. Was like, yep, I agree.
You said this makes you “irrationally angry” and then went on to explain a rationale behind why it makes you angry. I just want to note that’s pretty much the same misuse of a term as the one you’re complaining about.
But they didn’t say they were “literally” irrationally angry
They can have rational reasons for their anger but be aware of the fact that they needn’t be quite as angry as they are, that the extent of their anger is irrational. The two things are unrelated.
You’ll be upset to learn that literally is now defined as figuratively in some dictionaries.
I figuratively can’t even.
Which robs it of all meaning and utility!
It literally doesn’t. Just use the context to know how it’s being used.
inb4 words change meaning over time
Even if I accept words change meaning, what does literally mean now? What are people trying to convey when they say it? The only slightly practical thing it does is add emphasis. It’s a useless filler word.
You answered your own, like, question.
Really, it’s fine. Context makes it clear when we literally mean “literally” literally.
Don’t ask me, I just try my very best not to be annoyed at this stuff :)
athairmor@lemmy.world 8 months ago
“Literally” has been used a synonym for “figuratively” for, literally, over a century.
Let it go or I’ll start ranting about “begs the question.”