The Word “Literally,” by Paul Shirley

26 Sep 2012

Literally.

It’s a word that flummoxes everyone from sportscasters to sorority sisters, Catholic preachers to English teachers.

It means, “to the letter.” But in the past decade it has come to mean, “pretty much anything you want.”

Thanks to writers, social critics and David Cross, many of us have become aware that “literally” is not literally a phonetic land mine for which one should watch, but is certainly a figurative one.

But not everyone has gotten the message.

It is with those stragglers in mind that the following was created.

Here, then, is a friendly guide: examples of ways the word “literally” can, well, literally be used correctly.

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