# Literally now literally means figuratively **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 17, 2013, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literally-now-literally-means-figuratively/671498 "2013-10-17T16:48:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2013, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literally-now-literally-means-figuratively/671498/61 "2013-10-18T15:21:39Z")
> [@fjs1fs](#): > > As far as “run” is concerned, please tell me what you’re talking about. “Run” has (literally) dozens of variant usages. What might be confusing is “_Let me run next door to borrow a cup of sugar_”, when you can be reasonably sure that the speaker will be moving at a fairly casual pace. But all of the usages involve movement, I cannot think of one (shy a qualifier (like “, into the ground”) that would mean to stop, cease or impede. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2013, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literally-now-literally-means-figuratively/671498/62 "2013-10-18T15:22:30Z")
> [@fjs1fs](#): > > Do you literally have a degree in English? Yes, I quite literally do have a degree in English. > [@](#): > > If you can’t see how the different usages of this word make it a much less useful word, then I’m wasting my time arguing–literally. Yes, you literally are wasting your time, as I am. It’s no more confusing than any other figurative language. I have literally never been confused by an actual usage of the word “literally” in a conversation. This is not to say that I don’t have my own language gripes. The misuse of “penultimate” grates on me, for some reason. But “literally”? I just don’t understand the hatred of it. Might as well attack all hyperbole or metaphor for the potential to cause confusion. As I’ve said, I’ve never encountered a real situation where the meaning wasn’t obvious or you would have to be deliberately obtuse/pedantic to insist it was ambiguous. But even if there were such an ambiguous usage, so what? Language can always be ambiguous and often intentionally so. ---
**Author:** ![fjs1fs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9e8a1a/32.png) [@fjs1fs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fjs1fs)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2013, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literally-now-literally-means-figuratively/671498/63 "2013-10-18T15:23:37Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > We aren’t talking about YouTube commentators, it’s writers like Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and Mark Twain: > [The trouble with literally.](http://www.slate.com/articles/life/the_good_word/2005/11/the_word_we_love_to_hate.single.html) > > I don’t like it any more than anybody else; in fact it grates on me. But we have examples of its use that way dating back to the 19th century, and by respected writers, to satisfy the “usage makes it correct” argument, and we have the Merriam-Webster dictionary for the “Dictionary makes it correct” argument. > > All that’s left is the “that sucks, it makes the word (literally) useless” argument, which I heartily agree with, but I have to admit it’s a lost cause. I don’t think it’s a lost cause; those examples of writers using the word “incorrectly” are in works of art. They are using poetic license. When relating something that happened, and you say “literally” it has always been used to stress that it is NOT an exaggeration, but what really happened. I’m not a stickler when it comes to English. In fact, when people on this board rail at the notion of people using “textspeak,” e.g., using “u” instead of you, I just laugh, because I know what they mean. But in the case of this alternative usage of “literally,” it bothers me more because I don’t necessarily know what they mean. ---
**Author:** ![fjs1fs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9e8a1a/32.png) [@fjs1fs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fjs1fs)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2013, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literally-now-literally-means-figuratively/671498/64 "2013-10-18T15:25:13Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Yes, I quite literally do have a degree in English. > > Yes, you literally are wasting your time, as I am. It’s no more confusing than any other figurative language. I have literally never been confused by an actual usage of the word “literally” in a conversation. > > This is not to say that I don’t have my own language gripes. The misuse of “penultimate” grates on me, for some reason. But “literally”? I just don’t understand the hatred of it. Might as well attack all hyperbole or metaphor for the potential to cause confusion. As I’ve said, I’ve never encountered a real situation where the meaning wasn’t obvious or you would have to be deliberately obtuse/pedantic to insist it was ambiguous. But even if there were such an ambiguous usage, so what? Language can always be ambiguous and often intentionally so. So I’ll repeat my example. I fought a guy last night who literally had a black belt. What does that mean? How are you so brilliant as to know whether the guy really had a black belt or not? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2013, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literally-now-literally-means-figuratively/671498/65 "2013-10-18T15:29:00Z")
> [@fjs1fs](#): > > So I’ll repeat my example. I fought a guy last night who literally had a black belt. What does that mean? How are you so brilliant as to know whether the guy really had a black belt or not? If I heard that in the wild, my assumption would be that the word “literal” was being used in the literal sense. The way I would hear it phrased if it was not literal is “I fought a guy last night who literally must’ve had a black belt” if it was to be taken figuratively. Are these real examples, or deliberately contrived ones? There will always be outliers, and I’m sure at some point you can actually find one real-world example where there is true ambiguity that couldn’t be figured out through context but, as I said, I have literally never come across a situation where it wasn’t clear what usage of the word literally was meant. ---
**Author:** ![fjs1fs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9e8a1a/32.png) [@fjs1fs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fjs1fs)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2013, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literally-now-literally-means-figuratively/671498/66 "2013-10-18T15:30:36Z")
If I heard someone say “literally must’ve had” I would laugh too hard to even think about the rest of his story. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2013, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literally-now-literally-means-figuratively/671498/67 "2013-10-18T15:31:11Z")
> [@fjs1fs](#): > > Here’s another example. “I got in a fight with this guy who had a black belt in karate, literally.” Yes–another example **that you invented specifically for the purpose of showing a time the word could be confusing**. That’s trivial to do (for example, if I tell someone, “that was a long run,” am I talking about a marathon or a stocking flaw?) But that’s not at all what I asked for, and I even clarified. I’m asking for examples FROM REAL LIFE where someone, NOT SOMEONE TRYING TO SHOW THE WORD’S AMBIGUITY, has used the word in an ambiguous manner. If the only examples of the word’s ambiguity come from someone trying to show that the word is ambiguous, that’s an excellent sign that in the real world it’s not ambiguous. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2013, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literally-now-literally-means-figuratively/671498/68 "2013-10-18T15:32:51Z")
> [@fjs1fs](#): > > If I heard someone say “literally must’ve had” I would laugh too hard to even think about the rest of his story. Then laugh away and feel superior for it. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2013, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literally-now-literally-means-figuratively/671498/69 "2013-10-18T15:34:05Z")
> [@fjs1fs](#): > > I don’t think it’s a lost cause; those examples of writers using the word “incorrectly” are in works of art. Now, _that_ is a confusing sentence, kudos. I mean, I thought were were talking about the word “literally”, not the word “incorrectly”. ---
**Author:** ![fjs1fs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9e8a1a/32.png) [@fjs1fs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fjs1fs)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2013, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literally-now-literally-means-figuratively/671498/70 "2013-10-18T15:34:15Z")
You don’t think that could happen in real life? You’ve got to be kidding me. Your “that was a long run” example is a quick phrase that could mean anything. Rather than being confusing, it is just a meaningless phrase that could be referring to so many different things. What a horrible comparison. What I’ll do to satisfy your requirement is walk around with a tape recorder, 24/7 (literally) and when a real world example occurs, I will play you the tape. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2013, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literally-now-literally-means-figuratively/671498/71 "2013-10-18T15:35:58Z")
Do you encounter the same sort of confusion when somebody uses a phrase like “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse”? ---
**Author:** ![fjs1fs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9e8a1a/32.png) [@fjs1fs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fjs1fs)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2013, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literally-now-literally-means-figuratively/671498/72 "2013-10-18T15:37:02Z")
> [@For You](#): > > Now, _that_ is a confusing sentence, kudos. I mean, I thought were were talking about the word “literally”, not the word “incorrectly”. True, it wasn’t the best use of quotation marks. I’m sorry for the confusion. ---
**Author:** ![fjs1fs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9e8a1a/32.png) [@fjs1fs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fjs1fs)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2013, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literally-now-literally-means-figuratively/671498/73 "2013-10-18T15:38:08Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Do you encounter the same sort of confusion when somebody uses a phrase like “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse”? Of course not. What’s confusing about that? I think you’re missing the point. I am not the one who is confused. 99% of the time I know whether someone really means what they say vs. using hype to make the story more interesting. But the true value of the word literally has been lost, because it has always been used to stress the fact that the speaker was not using hype. As in, no I’m not saying these guys were just big, they were LITERALLY 7 FEET TALL. With the original definition of the word, that phrase added meaning. With it also meaning “figuratively,” the speaker may as well just leave the word out, because it has NO MEANING. That’s the point. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2013, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literally-now-literally-means-figuratively/671498/74 "2013-10-18T15:44:10Z")
> [@fjs1fs](#): > > Of course not. What’s confusing about that? Good. I think you’re understanding. So would adding “literally” there cause you confusion? ---
**Author:** ![fjs1fs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9e8a1a/32.png) [@fjs1fs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fjs1fs)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2013, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literally-now-literally-means-figuratively/671498/75 "2013-10-18T15:45:56Z")
If you read the rest of my post you’ll see that it’s not about confusion so much as the word “literally” not being helfpul at all if it can mean either “in actuality” or “figuratively.” So, are YOU understanding? Does adding the word “literally” help you in any way? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2013, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literally-now-literally-means-figuratively/671498/76 "2013-10-18T15:47:51Z")
> [@fjs1fs](#): > > With the original definition of the word, that phrase added meaning. With it also meaning “figuratively,” the speaker may as well just leave the word out, because it has NO MEANING. That’s the point. OK, then ignore my question above. First, “literally” does not mean “figuratively.” They are not synonyms. “Literally” may be used in a figurative manner but it does not denote what “figuratively” denotes. It is being used in its literal sense, but as a hyperbolic intensifier. Now, as to the issue of can you leave it out because it has no meaning? I’m not going to completely disagree with you there. I think most of the time it can be dropped and its use as an intensifier/emphatic has been a bit weakened by overuse. I’m not going to argue that “literally” isn’t perhaps an overused idiom. ---
**Author:** ![fjs1fs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9e8a1a/32.png) [@fjs1fs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fjs1fs)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2013, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literally-now-literally-means-figuratively/671498/77 "2013-10-18T15:53:30Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > OK, then ignore my question above. > > First, “literally” does not mean “figuratively.” They are not synonyms. “Literally” may be used in a figurative manned but it does not denote what “figuratively” denotes. It is being used in its literal sense, as a hyperbolic intensifier. > > Now, as to the issue of can you leave it out because it has no meaning? I’m not going to completely disagree with you there. I think most of the time it can be dropped and its use as an intensifier/emphatic has been a bit weakened by overuse. I’m not going to argue that “literally” isn’t perhaps an overused idiom. Given your second paragraph, I think you are agreeing with me that this word having two very different meanings has severely devalued it. That’s why I don’t like it. And yes there are other examples, such as bimonthly, which the dictionary defines both as “twice a month” and “every two months.” That’s why I always hesitate to use the word bimonthly. I’m not sure which meaning came first (I’m sure someone on here does). While I understand that there are a lot of words like this, that doesn’t mean I have to like it. Going back to literally, when it ONLY meant “actually” or “word for word” it had value. Now it has very little value if we accept it both ways. I’ll only use it when I mean it, otherwise I’ll talk of 20-foot monsters without adding literally to it, because it’s just a wasted word. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2013, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literally-now-literally-means-figuratively/671498/78 "2013-10-18T16:00:58Z")
> [@fjs1fs](#): > > You don’t think that could happen in real life? You’ve got to be kidding me. > > Your “that was a long run” example is a quick phrase that could mean anything. Rather than being confusing, it is just a meaningless phrase that could be referring to so many different things. What a horrible comparison. > > What I’ll do to satisfy your requirement is walk around with a tape recorder, 24/7 (literally) and when a real world example occurs, I will play you the tape. If only you had a massive repository of text, billions of pages, that you could search for your examples. I think it doesn’t happen in real life. I have never seen it happen in real life. Nobody I have ever asked has heard of it happening in real life. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2013, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literally-now-literally-means-figuratively/671498/79 "2013-10-18T16:03:58Z")
I personally think “literally” would be most fun used in a truly ambiguous state, where both the literal and figurative are possible, and the speaker/writer is aware of that and uses the word intentionally for ambiguity. Thing is, as much as “literally” is often an unnecessary word when used in the figurative sense, it’s quite as often unnecessary in the literal sense. ---
**Author:** ![fjs1fs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9e8a1a/32.png) [@fjs1fs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fjs1fs)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2013, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literally-now-literally-means-figuratively/671498/80 "2013-10-18T16:04:09Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > If only you had a massive repository of text, billions of pages, that you could search for your examples. > > I think it doesn’t happen in real life. I have never seen it happen in real life. Nobody I have ever asked has heard of it happening in real life. In that case, just keep using this meaningless word. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literally-now-literally-means-figuratively/671498.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/literally-now-literally-means-figuratively/671498.md?page=5)