Hitler is a last name so if any of his family members have that name they are, in fact, quite literally Hitler.
There’s always a bigger pedant…
So, we’re not talking about adolph hitler the one responsible for the deaths of millions?
What happened to the word ‘literally’ is the same thing that happened to the word ‘organic’. It used to exclusively mean ‘dealing with the chemistry of carbon when linked to other molecules’ (aka ‘the chemistry of life’) but now more commonly means ‘a particular way of producing food’.
That’s language for you.
Unless you specify, how can we be sure?
Do you disagree that one John Hitler is literally Hitler?
He might be a nice guy, and thus not figuratively Hitler. But surely you wouldn’t argue that a person named Hitler is not literally Hitler?
So trump says: -Immigrants are poisoning the blood of our country- I’m not sure if this is a word for word quote. Someone hears this and comments that trump is literally being hitler. This person is obvs talking about john hitler in Brazil. Not adolph hitler who killed millions and used language very similar to the poison immigrants thing. Good to know.
I know about language shift, but this one I don’t really buy. YMMV I guess.
Oh! I see. I didn’t realize we were allowed to use common sense, based on your prior posts.
If common sense is allowed, then clearly when someone says that Trump is “literally” being Hitler, they obviously mean that Trump’s actions are “literally” Hitler-like.
If common sense ISN’T allowed, then I repeat, it could be any Hitler.
Who is “Adolph” Hitler?
I’ve always found it pretty interesting how this particular emphatic/hyperbolic usage of the word “literally” sticks in so many people’s craws. For whatever reason, words like “really” or “actually” used as intensifiers to refer to things that are neither “real” nor “actual” don’t, but “literally” does. And, yet, hundreds of millions of native (and even non-) speakers go about using “literally” as an intensifier fully understanding what is meant and not causing confusion. It literally makes my head asplode.
I’m not cleaning that up…
Ooops, I guess I thought he’d make everything tender.
Yep. Sylvanz is being a real word-Oppenheimer.
Common sense is usually not common or sensible. Everyone has their own peeves literal is one of mine. I really dislike, “Hoooha COMMON SENSE!!!111” Hmm, it seems common sense is also one of mine.
ISWYDT; snerk
I am a grandma, but I am not your grandma. So straiten up and show some respect…jr.
Just to be clear, and seriously. Was that supposed to be an insult?
Come on, y’all. The problem is that we had a perfectly good word, figuratively, “used to indicate a departure from a literal use of words, metaphorically.” If the vernacular replaces “figuratively” with what is essentially its opposite, what word are we going to use when we literally mean “literally?” ISTM to be sloppy thinking.
I’m my own grandma.
And my favorite Hitler is Eddie Hitler.
Easy, well add a prefix. Just like regardless became irregardless, literally may become illiterally.
So someone named Hitler is illiterally Hitler. Someone acting like Hitler is literally Hitler. Someone acting like Hitler who is also named Hitler? Well, they’re Hitler, so what’d you expect?
Do people actually use: irregardless. shudder There’s another one.