# This literally drives me crazy: **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 23, 2010, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-literally-drives-me-crazy/530115 "2010-02-23T13:51:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-literally-drives-me-crazy/530115/21 "2010-02-23T18:29:13Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > So, oddly enough, this statement is correct: > > Literally doesn’t mean literally. I guess not, if you mean literal in the hyperbolic, non-literal sense. ---
**Author:** ![LunarPlexus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@LunarPlexus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LunarPlexus)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-literally-drives-me-crazy/530115/22 "2010-02-23T18:34:29Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > 2.an extravagant statement or figure of speech **not intended to be taken literally** , as “to wait an eternity.” Guess they’ll have to rewrite this definition as it’s no longer definitive. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Woodhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Miss\_Woodhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Woodhouse)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-literally-drives-me-crazy/530115/23 "2010-02-23T18:35:05Z")
[QUOTE=Cat Whisperer] My current all-out-of-proportion peeve is the mis-use of quotation marks for emphasis. “Today only - “Steak” on sale!” So, it’s not actually steak; what is it then? Formed meat patties? [/QUOTE] This is my pet peeve as well. The secretary at my children’s elementary school does this. Drives me bonkers. I really think that when children are reading the newsletter that is sent home by their educational institution it should be free of such glaring grammatical errors. On a good note: one my oldest’s teachers had a phrase displayed on the wall with an improper use of quotes. I saw it and commented on it, noting that by using quotes the way he was the saying was actually the opposite of what he meant. My daughter relayed my comment to the teacher. The next time I was in the room the quotes were gone. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-literally-drives-me-crazy/530115/24 "2010-02-23T18:37:21Z")
I mourn the death of _bring_ and _take_. When the TV ads for certain drugs say, “Bring (whatever) to your next doctor visit.” I wonder how they can be brodcasting from _MY_ doctor’s office, and everyone else’s. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-literally-drives-me-crazy/530115/25 "2010-02-23T18:40:45Z")
> [@LunarPlexus](#): > > Guess they’ll have to rewrite this definition as it’s no longer definitive. But then hyperbole will have to be taken literally, and I may end up having to eat an entire horse at some point. It’s like the whole dictionary is caught in a feedback loop. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-literally-drives-me-crazy/530115/26 "2010-02-23T18:53:33Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > A pirate grammarian walks into a bar with a wheel protruding from his pants > > The bartender says “hey pirate grammarian, did you realize that there appears to be a circular piece of wood emerging from your pantaloons?” > > And the pirate grammarian said “Arrrrrrrr, it’s literally steering me testicles!” This literally the funniest joke I’ve heard in a while. ---
**Author:** ![LunarPlexus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@LunarPlexus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LunarPlexus)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-literally-drives-me-crazy/530115/27 "2010-02-23T19:38:32Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > But then hyperbole will have to be taken literally, and I may end up having to eat an entire horse at some point. It’s like the whole dictionary is caught in a feedback loop. The whole dictionary? Is that hyperbole? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![JerseyFrank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bcef8e/32.png) [@JerseyFrank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerseyFrank)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-literally-drives-me-crazy/530115/28 "2010-02-23T19:41:14Z")
> [@it's not rocket surgery!](#): > > i “hope” you don’t spend all day at this “site”: > > [the “blog” of “unnecessary” quotation marks](http://www.unnecessaryquotes.com/) MAKE IT “STOP”! punctuation deliberately misplaced… ---
**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:** [February 23, 2010, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-literally-drives-me-crazy/530115/29 "2010-02-23T19:45:25Z")
“Make” “it” “stop” - typing everything in emphasis quotes is quite surreal. ---
**Author:** ![Kiber](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kiber/32/317_2.png) [@Kiber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kiber)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-literally-drives-me-crazy/530115/30 "2010-02-23T20:34:15Z")
Since we seem to have drifted from the Op into listing our own pet peeves - here’s mine. On McDonald’s cups are the words “Please put litter in its place”. Huh? Isn’t litter trash that’s thrown on the ground? Thank you, but I’ll put my trash in the garbage can. ---
**Author:** ![x-ray\_vision](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/x-ray_vision/32/351_2.png) [@x-ray\_vision](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/x-ray_vision)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-literally-drives-me-crazy/530115/31 "2010-02-23T20:46:02Z")
Every time I hear someone use “literally” as the OP describes, I think of [this](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6CiVRAH0Bb4) scene from _Frasier_ (YouTube video). ---
**Author:** ![MentalGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/439d5e/32.png) [@MentalGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MentalGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-literally-drives-me-crazy/530115/32 "2010-02-23T20:50:20Z")
This reminds me of one of my favorite lines from the TV show “Psych”. Jules: Carlton is literally on fire. Shawn: “Michael Jackson in the Pepsi commercial” on fire, or “misuse of the word literally” on fire? ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-literally-drives-me-crazy/530115/33 "2010-02-23T20:50:25Z")
> [@picunurse](#): > > I mourn the death of _bring_ and _take_. When the TV ads for certain drugs say, “Bring (whatever) to your next doctor visit.” I wonder how they can be brodcasting from _MY_ doctor’s office, and everyone else’s. Huh? See definition [15a](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take) and then [1a](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bring). They’re identical. Your rule is silly and the commercial is correct. ---
**Author:** ![panman\_1960](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/919ad9/32.png) [@panman\_1960](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panman_1960)\ **Post date:** [February 23, 2010, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-literally-drives-me-crazy/530115/34 "2010-02-23T21:02:06Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > “Make” “it” “stop” - typing everything in emphasis quotes is quite surreal. Most excellent William Shatner impersonation! later, Tom. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-literally-drives-me-crazy/530115/35 "2010-02-24T19:52:12Z")
I agree on literal - its meaning needs to be the first definition of literal as we already have the word figurative to mean the 2nd def. The “word” homogenous drives me crazy, because the people who use it are mistaking it for homogeneous and don’t know the difference, making them look foolish. But soon, it will take over homogeneous. ---
**Author:** ![stpauler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-literally-drives-me-crazy/530115/36 "2010-02-24T20:14:36Z")
I’m nonplussed by the use of literally as a modifier. And by nonplussed I mean perplexed which is its definition. Nonplussed does not mean apathetic no matter how many people keep trying to use it as such. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-literally-drives-me-crazy/530115/37 "2010-02-24T21:58:49Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > I’m nonplussed by the use of literally as a modifier. And by nonplussed I mean perplexed which is its definition. Nonplussed does not mean apathetic no matter how many people keep trying to use it as such. I’m nonplussed by your peeve. And by that I mean, it doesn’t bother me in the least. Or in the “least.” Really (but not literally). ---
**Author:** ![Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malleus_incus_stapes/32/3293_2.png) [@Malleus\_Incus\_Stapes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malleus_Incus_Stapes)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2010, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-literally-drives-me-crazy/530115/38 "2010-02-25T04:00:45Z")
I was so proud of my brother tonight. He went out of his way to use “figuratively” instead of “literally”. ---
**Author:** ![Dickerman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8baadc/32.png) [@Dickerman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dickerman)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2010, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-literally-drives-me-crazy/530115/39 "2010-02-25T05:47:28Z")
My latest peeve is when people include “no pun intended” or “pun intended” in what they say or write. A pun is so much less clever when you can’t resist the urge to point it out, intended or not. ---
**Author:** ![Richard\_Pearse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/richard_pearse/32/13144_2.png) [@Richard\_Pearse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Richard_Pearse)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2010, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-literally-drives-me-crazy/530115/40 "2010-02-25T06:21:37Z")
Figuratively is not a substitute for the second definition of literally. Literally is being used as an intensifier, if you used figuratively it would actually be reducing the intensity of the phrase. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-literally-drives-me-crazy/530115.md?page=1)