Slog
News & ArtsThursday, August 2, 2012
Books This Word Must Die
Posted by Paul Constant on Thu, Aug 2, 2012 at 4:47 PM
The Awl has a very nice post about why the word "literally" is so overused right now. I'm not throwing stones, here—I have a serious "actually" problem, as Bethany Jean Clement likes to point out—but we do need to put the word "literally" down for a while. Even jokes about the word "literally" have to stop. Let's all agree to work together to make this change. We can do this!
6
I *really* agree. Adjectives are very easily overused. Usually, the -ly words basically clutter up the writing.
8
So, you put your foot down on using the word 'literally,' but you'll still post every gossipy, inane flotsam uttered about Sarah Palin?
12
You also use "disingenuous" and "hopefully" as flabby placeholders way more than you used to. Some commenter gave me shit for pointing and laughing at it the other day, which pleased me.
13
This post is literally Hitler.
And no, I won't stop making 'literally' jokes. I prefer the humor to actual progress.
And no, I won't stop making 'literally' jokes. I prefer the humor to actual progress.
16
@14: I heard 'flotsam' used by itself on Star Trek: The Next Generation. Given that, it must be a perfectly cromulent word.
21
18: I think you need to stay away from the thesaurus. You sound like one of those Glen Beck fans who bust out the dictionary anytime they need an archaic or rarely used word to underline their purported intelligence.
22
Disagree. "Literally" can be hilarious when used correctly. Misuse should be punishable by stockade.
25
But I miss "literally" already! Could I use litter-ily? As in: I litter-ily threw my phone out the car window after reading the post? Or maybe: The driver behind me had to be litter-ily carried away on a stretcher? How about liter-ily: The paramedics liter-ily saved the driver using blood transfusion? Or: The tallest paramedic was leader-ily a foot taller than the rest of us and liter-airily exhaled orders as the victim rolled latterally into the maw of a medical system that would looter-ily and littler-ily resize his bank accounts? I picture you with flames shooting from your ears, lit-ear-ily and lit-eerily longing leeringly that "literally" has been laid direly in its literary grave. But it's, you know, a little early.
28
I have no problem with the use of the word "literally" as long as it's literally used correctly...
30
Once I wrote a column (back when I wrote a column) with "literally" in every sentence. Literally!
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/night…
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/night…
32
@30: Thank you for making it evident in the first two sentences that reading any further would be a complete waste of time.
@31: Yes! Thank you!
@31: Yes! Thank you!
38
Sarah70 @ 14 Flotsam is the wreckage of a ship, Jetsam is stuff purposefully thrown overboard. The words may be used together most of the time but that doesn't mean they don't exist as separate useable words. You're wrong. What intrigues me is how you thought you could be so correct.
While we're on the topic of certainty and banishment, I submit for your consideration the phrase "I know! Right?" This appears to mean "I corroborate your assertion with certainty, but I just want to confirm your approval because my certainty is contingent upon you liking me."
weak-dick bullshit.
While we're on the topic of certainty and banishment, I submit for your consideration the phrase "I know! Right?" This appears to mean "I corroborate your assertion with certainty, but I just want to confirm your approval because my certainty is contingent upon you liking me."
weak-dick bullshit.
40
@38 lighten up. She was corrected and she responded gracefully. You, however, come across as a jerk.
Your post was literally informative up until the third sentence. Then, instead of leaving readers thinking, ‘huh, now I know something I didn't before,’ readers are left thinking, ‘huh, he's such a jackass.’
Lighten up and quit being so aggressive. This is SLOG for [god's] sake, not redit.
Your post was literally informative up until the third sentence. Then, instead of leaving readers thinking, ‘huh, now I know something I didn't before,’ readers are left thinking, ‘huh, he's such a jackass.’
Lighten up and quit being so aggressive. This is SLOG for [god's] sake, not redit.
41
@40 Sorry everyone. I missed the graceful response and my jackass just overflowed.
I'll crawl back into my lair of bitterness now.
I'll crawl back into my lair of bitterness now.
43
@41: I too have the problem with Jackass-overflow. Some day, someone will make a support group for people like us.
45
Who the fuck cares about this? It's an invented outrage that serves to differentiate the elite from the not elite on linguistic terms.
46
@12 I was literally only giving you friendly shit about it - a tease, if you will. (I am totally not being disingenuous when I say that, either.) Hopefully you'll pick up on that next time.
47
@38, I once met a girl who claimed to have coined the term 'I know, right?"
...
...I know, right?
...
...I know, right?
48
@45, I distinguish people who at least attempt to use proper grammar (spelling, punctuation, etc.) from those who do not. I do make judgments about their education level, and sometimes their intelligence, from these markers. I'm not going to apologize for that.
49
@48
Overused words, who's colloquial meaning is somewhat different than their dictionary meaning, aren't grammar, and aren't spelling. Most of these words are completely benign, and using "literally" in casual speech doesn't say anything about educational level or intelligence. It's a ham handed and completely invent shibboleth wielded by people who need to feel some artificial sense of linguistic superiority.
If we're strictly speaking about widespread grammatical errors, then I agree, something needs to be done, but I don't think a war on malaprop and colloquialism is the best use of time in that regard.
Overused words, who's colloquial meaning is somewhat different than their dictionary meaning, aren't grammar, and aren't spelling. Most of these words are completely benign, and using "literally" in casual speech doesn't say anything about educational level or intelligence. It's a ham handed and completely invent shibboleth wielded by people who need to feel some artificial sense of linguistic superiority.
If we're strictly speaking about widespread grammatical errors, then I agree, something needs to be done, but I don't think a war on malaprop and colloquialism is the best use of time in that regard.
50
I'm Back!
@45,48 apparently the Books editor of the Stranger disagrees to some extent. Shibboleth - fantastic word, but (in the modern sense at least) the same could be said of your "elite"-dropping.
Either language has meaning (and we're judged by it) or it is just space-consuming self-important spew without meaning. I've been judged to be a jack ass; I'll cop to that. But if anyone thought I was literally a jack ass then they were actually doofuses.
@45,48 apparently the Books editor of the Stranger disagrees to some extent. Shibboleth - fantastic word, but (in the modern sense at least) the same could be said of your "elite"-dropping.
Either language has meaning (and we're judged by it) or it is just space-consuming self-important spew without meaning. I've been judged to be a jack ass; I'll cop to that. But if anyone thought I was literally a jack ass then they were actually doofuses.
Advertisement
Most Commented on Slog
-
It's Spring! Who's Ready for Street Harassment? by Cienna Madrid
-
New Gun Enthusiast... by Dan Savage
-
America Doesn't Care About Black People by Charles Mudede
-
SL Letter of the Day: Gonna Boil My Laptop After Answering This One by Dan Savage
-
All You Motherfuckers Complaining That aPodments Are Too Small at 200 Square Feet by Dominic Holden
-
Bigot Florist Files Countersuit by Dominic Holden
-
Slog Super Poll: Who Should Be Mayor? by Dominic Holden
-
SL Letter of the Day: Did You Think I Was Going To Tell You Not To Come Out? (PLUS: Help Free Kate!) by Dan Savage
-
America's Epidemic of Toddler-on-Toddler Gun Violence Continues by Goldy
-
Tim Burgess Quits the Mayor's Race by Dominic Holden
Stranger Personals
The Stranger
RSSSeattle Art & Performance Quarterly
A complete guide to Seattle's current art, film, dance, and theater season.
Facebook
Twitter
Comments (51) RSS