# Literally doing a figure of speech **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 26, 2018, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literally-doing-a-figure-of-speech/813164 "2018-04-26T15:06:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![D18](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@D18](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D18)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2018, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literally-doing-a-figure-of-speech/813164/1 "2018-04-26T15:06:02Z")
I just literally did a back-of-an-envelope calculation using a pen, grade 8 math skills and, well, the back of an envelope. When was the last time did something similar? ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2018, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literally-doing-a-figure-of-speech/813164/2 "2018-04-26T15:08:20Z")
A lot of people do exactly that when they have to give someone a phone number. You’ll see them pushing the buttons on an invisible phone. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2018, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literally-doing-a-figure-of-speech/813164/3 "2018-04-26T15:31:55Z")
> [@D18](#): > > I just literally did a back-of-an-envelope calculation using a pen, grade 8 math skills and, well, the back of an envelope. > > When was the last time did something similar? When I made up an index for my book, I did it by using ------ index cards. Whaddayaknow – Truth in Advertising! I went through the book proof, page by page from the beginning, wrote each topic as it came up, filed it alphabetically, and added to it as necessary. At the end, I had a file card box full of index topics. I’m sure you can do it using software, but I had a physical manuscript with no computer file version, so it was the easiest and quickest way to do it. I never considered where the name might come from – and that _is_ where it comes from – [Index card - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Index_card) ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2018, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literally-doing-a-figure-of-speech/813164/4 "2018-04-26T17:25:28Z")
We had a massive blizzard (the second highest snowfall in my city since they started keeping records) a couple weeks ago. Snow was piled up against doors, windows and on the roof. During the blizzard, my daughter got sick. She was both figuratively and literally under the weather. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2018, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literally-doing-a-figure-of-speech/813164/5 "2018-04-26T18:48:09Z")
I’m literally using “literally” literally. RIGHT NOW. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2018, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literally-doing-a-figure-of-speech/813164/6 "2018-04-26T18:53:39Z")
I’ve never seen a good enough figure to literally do. ---
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2018, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literally-doing-a-figure-of-speech/813164/7 "2018-04-26T19:11:33Z")
I went to the basement just for you, and kicked the bucket. As a bonus, there were two of them, different colours. I chose the whiter shade of pail. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2018, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literally-doing-a-figure-of-speech/813164/8 "2018-04-26T20:49:29Z")
I know this isn’t exactly what the OP is requesting, but it fits the tone of the thread. When I did some basement repair work a while back, it struck me that I was actually using duct tape on a duct for the first time ever. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2018, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literally-doing-a-figure-of-speech/813164/9 "2018-04-26T21:23:27Z")
This is also a stretch, but last time I was in London I wanted to walk from Fulham to Kensal Green, but I took a wrong turn and before I knew it the signs said I was in Chelsea and I literally said to myself “I don’t want to go to Chelsea” without realizing what I was saying until afterward. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2018, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literally-doing-a-figure-of-speech/813164/10 "2018-04-26T21:53:50Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > This is also a stretch, but last time I was in London I wanted to walk from Fulham to Kensal Green, but I took a wrong turn and before I knew it the signs said I was in Chelsea and I literally said to myself “I don’t want to go to Chelsea” without realizing what I was saying until afterward. Yeah, but think of all the lips that you could lick. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2018, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literally-doing-a-figure-of-speech/813164/11 "2018-04-26T23:53:34Z")
I didn’t want that, I just wanted to be a victim of overstretched legs. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literally-doing-a-figure-of-speech/813164/12 "2018-04-27T05:56:18Z")
I did this on purpose for a while. I once made a mountain out of a molehill - here’s a picture: > **[Making A Mountain Out Of A Molehill - Atomic Shrimp](http://atomicshrimp.com/post/2008/06/01/Making-A-Mountain-Out-Of-A-Molehill)** > > So, is it possible to really make a mountain out of a molehill? I guess there are two different ways to tackle this task - but one of them would involve a considerable amount of ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literally-doing-a-figure-of-speech/813164/13 "2018-04-27T06:55:38Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > When I made up an index for my book, I did it by using ------ index cards. > Whaddayaknow – Truth in Advertising! > > I went through the book proof, page by page from the beginning, wrote each topic as it came up, filed it alphabetically, and added to it as necessary. At the end, I had a file card box full of index topics. > > I’m sure you can do it using software, but I had a physical manuscript with no computer file version, so it was the easiest and quickest way to do it. > > I never considered where the name might come from – and that _is_ where it comes from – [Index card - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Index_card) Using the term _ **index** _ for **index** cards itself is figurative. _Index_ means to point, (hence index finger)–and those cards aren’t actually pointing at anything. So it’s still figurative. Really, ALL language–except for maybe onomatopoeia–is figurative. That’s the nature of language. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2018, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literally-doing-a-figure-of-speech/813164/14 "2018-04-27T11:14:43Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > Using the term _ **index** _ for **index** cards itself is figurative. _Index_ means to point, (hence index finger)–and those cards aren’t actually pointing at anything. So it’s still figurative. > > Really, ALL language–except for maybe onomatopoeia–is figurative. That’s the nature of language. Well, gee, then. You’ve just destroyed that rationale for this thread.