Literally

[Henry]

Hate that: 'I LITERALLY DIED LAUGHING!'

 

No you didn't.

 

Cunt.

 

 

It is a word that has been misused by so many that its definition has been changed – literally.

The Oxford English Dictionary has revealed that it has included the erroneous use of the word ‘literally’ after the usage became popular.

The dictionary states the definition as ‘in a literal way or sense’ but adds that, informally, it can be ‘used for emphasis rather than being actually true’ such as ‘we were literally killing ourselves laughing’.

The definition was added in the September 2011 edition, but went unnoticed until this week.

Senior OED editor Fiona McPherson commented in jest: ‘It seems to have literally slipped under the radar.’

The move will be a relief to commentators and politicians who have been ridiculed for using the word incorrectly.

Last year, Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg described low-rate taxpayers as ‘literally living in a different galaxy’, while in 2007 cricketer Sir Ian Botham said batsmen surviving appeals for leg-before-wicket dismissals had been ‘getting away with murder, literally’.

In 1876, Mark Twain used the word in this way in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

He wrote: ‘And when the middle of the afternoon came, from being a poor poverty-stricken boy in the morning, Tom was literally rolling in wealth.’

However, the oldest documented incorrect use of the word is in 1769 when the author Frances Brooke wrote, in The History of Emily Montague: ‘He is a fortunate man to be introduced to such a party of fine women at his arrival; it is literally to feed among the lilies.’

Miss McPherson said: ‘Our job is to describe the language people are using. The only reason this sense is included is because people are using it in this way.

‘Words have changed their meaning ever since the first word was uttered. Meat used to mean all food but now its sense has narrowed.’

At least, when explaining how people incorrectly use it, the dictionary still seems to slightly scold the person delivering the wrong word.

It says: 'This use can lead to unintentional humorous effects (we were literally killing ourselves laughing) and is not acceptable in formal contexts, though it is widespread.'

Not everyone has been impressed with the change in use over the word.

It says: 'In recent years an extended use of literally has become very common, where literally is used deliberately in non-literal contexts, for added effect

'My impression is that many people don't have any idea of what "literally" means — or used to mean,' Boston University psycholinguist Jean Berko Gleason told the Boston Globe, The Week reported in March.

But the OED prides itself on constantly looking out for new ways words can be interpreted.

In June the leading authority on the English language confirmed that the definition of the word 'marriage' will be changed now a law allowing same-sex couples to get married has been passed.

Language experts said the definition did not change overnight but they will monitor how the word marriage changes over the next year.

An Oxford University Press spokeswoman said: ‘We continually monitor the words in our dictionaries, paying particular to those words whose usage is shifting, so yes, this will happen with marriage.’

As it stands, OxfordDictionaries.com defines marriage as being a ‘formal union of a man and a woman, typically as recognised by law, by which they become husband and wife.’

In a reference, it says marriage could also be ‘(in some jurisdictions) a union between partners of the same sex’.

 

[360]

Poor post, shit poster.

You need to up your game,

Sent from my GT-P5110 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

[Henry]

No.

 

Sent from my computer using my fingers.

[Dynamo]

No.

 

Sent from my computer using my fingers.

 

 

Sure it wasn't your works computer?

[Henry]

Sure it wasn't your works computer?

 

Good point.

 

Literally sent from my work's computer using my own fingers and work's keyboard.

[minijc]

I actually started using this word alot about 2 years ago, since then I've had other "popular" words that I use which is baffling (that's another) but I am literally baffled here as to why it's such a problem.

[Henry]

I am literally baffled here

 

Not an unusual situation for you, I imagine.

[minijc]

Not an unusual situation for you, I imagine.

What do you mean by that? I'm actually a very intelligent person when I want to be.

[Henry]

You turn your intelligence on and off like a light?

 

Seems plausible.

[Tommy]

What do you mean by that? I'm actually a very intelligent person when I want to be.

REALLY?

[Bluto10]

You turn your intelligence on and off like a light?

 

nah just not all of us are dweeby forum swots.

 

ooooohhh look at me, i spell propers on the interweb, amnt i brainyers

[minijc]

REALLY?

You know me Tommy, I'm a fucking great guy that when I need to and want to I'll be intelligent, I know shit loads of things that if I applied myself more I'd be fucking awesome, I simply don't do this so other can feel good about themselves.

[SheepieBaaBaa]

Hate that: 'I LITERALLY DIED LAUGHING!'

 

No you didn't.

 

Cunt.

 

I figuratively exploded with anger at this. Changing the dictionary definition of a word to match idiotic misuse.

What next, 2+2=4 although in some cases 5, if each of the twos are rounded down from 2.49 and the total is rounded up.....stupid stupid stupid.

 

What next ? Definition of "like" = similar to, unless used by some chunt from Cults academy in which case it is an adjective, noun, verb, conjunction meaning "oh, my god, I was like, so like this and then she was like , and then , like I said like, oooh my goood, you are so like..... "

[buchanskii]

 

The word has been changed in the dictionary, so there is nothing wrong with how it's used, unfortunately...

[Tommy]

You know me Tommy, I'm a fucking great guy that when I need to and want to I'll be intelligent, I know shit loads of things that if I applied myself more I'd be fucking awesome, I simply don't do this so other can feel good about themselves.

Indeed.

One of life's good guys.

A bit of a dick at times but aint we all.

[tup]

Whats your problem minijc?

 

You seem seriously aggressive towards poor Harcus.

[Henry]

Roids is what I suspect Tup.

 

Sad to see.

[The Hulk]

Whats your problem minijc?

 

You seem seriously aggressive towards poor Harcus.

It's 6 years since the Get Niall Nailed campaign. He must be feeling it if he still hasn't got his hole yet.

[tup]

It may soon be time for a 'Get Niall Sectioned' campaign.

[Tommy]

It's 6 years since the Get Niall Nailed campaign. He must be feeling it if he still hasn't got his hole yet.

He's dealt with that problem.

[tup]

That must be why he's so LTD these days.

[The Hulk]

He's dealt with that problem.

Good lad!

Mind you, steriod use will exacerbate testicular atrophy.

In other words sma' ba's syndrome.

Minj may soon develop a minj.

[daytripping]

This is literally the shittest thread there's ever been on here.

[minijc]

It may soon be time for a 'Get Niall Sectioned' campaign.

Tried and failed, not been for a 'talk' in a long time and had no reason to go for one let alone get sectioned.

[Tyrant]

So they changed the word to literally mean the exact opposite?

 

Fucking hell. It's bad that we have to completely contradict the meaning of words just because thick arseholes can't use them properly.

[Ke1t]

Any Dictionary defining 'literal' as meaning anything other than literal should be forced to have the qualifier 'Moron Edition' stamped clearly on the front cover.

 

Anyone found using a Moron Edition Dictionary should be sterilised and enslaved.

[a don in oz]

They can piss off with changing the definition to suit the dumbtards.

 

I went off my nut in a meeting a while ago at some plonker literally-ing everything. That was only one of his sins but it was the last straw.

[Henry]

Oxford Dictionary word of the year:

 

 

 

Why was this chosen?

Emojis (the plural can be either emoji or emojis) have been around since the late 1990s, but 2015 saw their use, and use of the word emoji, increase hugely.

This year Oxford University Press have partnered with leading mobile technology business SwiftKey to explore frequency and usage statistics for some of the most popular emoji across the world, and was chosen because it was the most used emoji globally in 2015. SwiftKey identified that made up 20% of all the emojis used in the UK in 2015, and 17% of those in the US: a sharp rise from 4% and 9% respectively in 2014. The word emoji has seen a similar surge: although it has been found in English since 1997, usage more than tripled in 2015 over the previous year according to data from the Oxford Dictionaries Corpus.

[dave_min]

I don't think people use the word "literally", wrong, per se. its for emphasis

 

someone OBVIOUSLY didn't die laughing, but its like saying "im going to try 110%

 

no, you're not

 

you cant

Wow.

 

You are literally an idiot.

 

Idiot.

[StandFree1982]

I don't think people use the word "literally", wrong, per se. its for emphasis

 

someone OBVIOUSLY didn't die laughing, but its like saying "im going to try 110%

 

no, you're not

 

you cant

No, they do use it incorrectly. Literally.

 

Although because so many fucktards don't know how to use certain words correctly, they have to go and alter the meaning or add some side meaning. I.e.

 

informal

used for emphasis while not being literally true.

"I have received literally thousands of letters"

This use can lead to unintentional humorous (...if you say so) effects ( we were literally killing ourselves laughing) and is not acceptable in formal contexts, though it is widespread.