# "Physically" is the new "literally" **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 30, 2007, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physically-is-the-new-literally/424565 "2007-10-30T13:22:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2007, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physically-is-the-new-literally/424565/41 "2007-10-31T00:36:47Z")
I haven’t run into the thing in the OP yet, but after reading it, I’m sure I will soon. It stinks of the kind of thing people who don’t think about what they’re saying all that much like to say (and that would be a whooooole lotta people). My peeve is the mis-use of “paradigm shift.” A paradigm shift is a truly neat thing when it happens; this is a great, descriptive phrase has been rendered buzzwordy by mis-use/over-use. ---
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2007, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physically-is-the-new-literally/424565/42 "2007-10-31T01:09:06Z")
“Manually” is perfect for describing something that a computer will accomplish after the human does something. We touch computers with our _hands_. Instructing someone to do something manually (or “by hand”) is more descriptive than telling them to do it physically, or even without an adverb. **Blinking Duck** , you are physically (and metaphorically, and so forth) off the hook. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2007, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physically-is-the-new-literally/424565/43 "2007-10-31T04:21:39Z")
This is a literally great rant! ---
**Author:** ![Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7993a0/32.png) [@Jamaika\_a\_jamaikaiake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamaika_a_jamaikaiake)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2007, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physically-is-the-new-literally/424565/44 "2007-10-31T05:05:21Z")
[QUOTE=Marley23] Why do people keep needing new words to mean the same thing? [/QUOTE] Are you serious? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2007, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physically-is-the-new-literally/424565/45 "2007-10-31T09:59:09Z")
> [@](#): > > I resist the general urge toward a literal hijack! Not me. This thread’s going to Cuba or everyone dies. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2007, 10:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physically-is-the-new-literally/424565/46 "2007-10-31T10:22:21Z")
[QUOTE=EddyTeddyFreddy] Word. I’ve been noticing that “physically” nonsense lately, and I hate it – it always stops me in my figurative tracks because it so patently means “figuratively”. [/QUOTE] I took something of a beating not too long ago for lamenting that “skeptical” has come to mean “doubtful”. The lesson learned (or at least taught) was that language changes and people who stand in its way are worthless trolls. ---
**Author:** ![Hung\_Mung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hung\_Mung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hung_Mung)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2007, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physically-is-the-new-literally/424565/47 "2007-10-31T13:08:27Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] I took something of a beating not too long ago for lamenting that “skeptical” has come to mean “doubtful”. The lesson learned (or at least taught) was that language changes and people who stand in its way are worthless trolls. [/QUOTE] OMG ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2007, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physically-is-the-new-literally/424565/48 "2007-10-31T13:10:35Z")
[QUOTE=Jamaika a jamaikaiaké] Are you serious? [/QUOTE] Somewhat. It’s actually more like “Why are the meanings of these formerly distinct words being blurred together in a way that can reduce clarity?” I’m not a prescriptivist, but I’m annoyed by the shifts we’re discussing here. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2007, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physically-is-the-new-literally/424565/49 "2007-10-31T19:04:08Z")
I would have told Joan the Drone that I literally need you to physically suck my balls. ---
**Author:** ![Gus\_Gusterson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@Gus\_Gusterson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gus_Gusterson)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2007, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physically-is-the-new-literally/424565/50 "2007-10-31T19:21:33Z")
[QUOTE=Cervaise] A few days ago, I was sitting in a conference room with some software development people talking through a proposed fix to an application interface error. At one point, a developer said: “So then we need to physically move the file to the archive…” And I interrupted, with a matter-of-fact tone: “Insofar as a collection of electrons has a physical presence, yes.” [/QUOTE] “Physically” has a specific meaning when you’re talking about software. Software can do things “logically” and it can do things “physically”. When you physically move a file, you are making a copy of it in a new location. When you logically move a file, the file doesn’t move at all and only the pointers to it move (or additional pointers are created). There’s not enough context to know whether the developer you were talking to used “physically” correctly, but it’s not always incorrect to use “physically” in this way. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2007, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physically-is-the-new-literally/424565/51 "2007-10-31T19:22:37Z")
The OP is just being old fashion. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2007, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physically-is-the-new-literally/424565/52 "2007-10-31T19:56:33Z")
[QUOTE=OneCentStamp] The OP is just being old fashion. [/QUOTE] Hey, you shouldn’t of gone off-topic like that. Let’s get this thread untracked. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2007, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physically-is-the-new-literally/424565/53 "2007-10-31T20:39:57Z")
[QUOTE=Marley23] Hey, you shouldn’t of gone off-topic like that. Let’s get this thread untracked. [/QUOTE] I’m physically in pain from reading this. ---
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2007, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physically-is-the-new-literally/424565/54 "2007-10-31T21:46:04Z")
For all intensive purposes; you’re post has trainwrecked my OP. Its to late, they’res no going back now you’ve physically let the air out of this thread, literally. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2007, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physically-is-the-new-literally/424565/55 "2007-11-01T05:22:17Z")
> [@](#): > > I would have told Joan the Drone that I literally need you to physically suck my balls. But when you said your balls, you were speaking figuratively, right? I assume you actually wanted her to suck your testicles. ---
**Author:** ![Jurph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/50afbb/32.png) [@Jurph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jurph)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2007, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physically-is-the-new-literally/424565/56 "2007-11-01T11:44:03Z")
[QUOTE=Gus Gusterson] There’s not enough context to know whether the developer you were talking to used “physically” correctly, but it’s not always incorrect to use “physically” in this way. [/QUOTE] I agree that software developers are in a tough spot because so much of what they do is virtual and abstract. For database work the term “physical” is important, especially as a contrast to “logical” or “functional”… but then software and database people understand how important it is to preserve that word’s utility. I doubt that they’ll end up abusing it – and if they do, a pedantic-but-curmudgeonly CompSci in the room will almost certainly correct their slip-up. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/physically-is-the-new-literally/424565.md?page=2)