Dictionary update on the use of the word LITERALLY...

[Spun Cuppa]

With NSC being a hive of pedantry, I noticed in the news that the for years misused word 'literally' has had its definition updated to allow its use in phrases like 'I was literally tearing my hair out...', to add emphasis, as well as its formerly literal meaning, to tell the truth...

I remember listening to a few ding dongs on the subject, usually around a table in a pub

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...y-admits-used-wrong-sense-word-literally.html

 

[strings]

This story has literally made me explode with anger.

 

[DavidinSouthampton]

As an Oxford man, I now feel like disowning the Oxford English Dictionary.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Jamie Redknapp. A highly influential linguistic pioneer.

 

[Nathan]

As an Oxford man, I now feel like disowning the Oxford English Dictionary.

Literally?

 

[mistahclarke]

Will the change the meaning of the word "dictionary" too? Because they should.

 

[mejonaNO12 aka riskit]

I'm upset by this development.

Picking up on people's misuse of the word is one of my 'things'. It's what makes me such a popular bloke.

 

[dougdeep]

With NSC being a hive of pedantry, I noticed in the news THAT THE FOR YEARS MISUSED word 'literally' has had its definition updated

Why not FREQUENTLY misused or OFTEN??

 

[The Fifth Column]

I was like literally so pissed off at this. 'I was like' is my most hated term used today, you were not 'like' anything you bellend why not just say what you were feeling instead of adding this pointless term on the beginning of everything you say?

 

[Moshe Gariani]

I was like literally so pissed off at this. 'I was like' is my most hated term used today, you were not 'like' anything you bellend why not just say what you were feeling instead of adding this pointless term on the beginning of everything you say?

Don't worry. Just give it a few years and "I was like" will be considered, like, (upward inflection) correct?

 

[London Irish]

Friend of mine wrote this for the Guardian about it http://www.theguardian.com/commenti...broken-english-language-definition?CMP=twt_gu

 

[tinycowboy]

Being pedantic about the word "literally" is old hat now; semi-colon fascism is the place to be.

 

[Spun Cuppa]

Why not FREQUENTLY misused or OFTEN??

Family trait. Why use one word when you can use loads

 

[Colossal Squid]

I heard Charlie Brooker use the word invite as a noun recently. That was the final straw for me, it's obviously now acceptable to just give up and join in with incorrect language usage because if you do it enough the dictionary bods will just accept it.

Next there'll be an entry on SHOULD OF

 

[gazingdown]

So now, how do you say/write something when you want to say literally if it now has this double meaning.

"Jamie Redknapp, the Sky TV pundit, once said of the Manchester United footballer Wayne Rooney that he was “literally on fire”. - So what if Wayne Rooney really was (literally!!!) on fire, how would you articulate this so to not be speaking figuratively?

Stupid decision. A definitive example of dumbing down.

Does figuratively now have an equally ambiguous meaning as well?

As above, "should of" is quite useful component of the stupid-person-detector

Some English spelling/grammar is important to get correct, some is better to get correct (esp in more formal settings) and some isn't important. In other words, we should all have the basics right. It matters that you get there/their/they're correct but it really doesn't matter if a preposition is something you end a sentence with.

 

[JCL - the new kid in town]

Is this "massive" news?

 

[MICK PATCHAM]

I was like literally so pissed off at this. 'I was like' is my most hated term used today, you were not 'like' anything you bellend why not just say what you were feeling instead of adding this pointless term on the beginning of everything you say?

 

[BuddyBoy]

Nothing makes sense anymore.

 

[Icy Gull]

Invariably is another, now seems to be used to mean often.

 

[BuddyBoy]

Whatever happened to "virtually"?

I was virtually punching the walls.