Re^4: poll ideas quest 2015

I wanted to put down literally (no pun intended) with no second word That is, the word should simply be removed, as it is used for stress, but literally changes the meaning of the sentence (pun intended.)

I assume that is what you meant when you suggested figuratively. However, making the replacement would not only not be what the speaker wanted, it would work against the intended meaning of the sentence!

Comment on Re^4: poll ideas quest 2015

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Re^5: poll ideas quest 2015 by jdporter (Paladin) on May 19, 2015 at 14:42 UTC
Well, you're right -- it would not make much sense to say "I figuratively died laughing!", despite the fact that figuratively is exactly how the speaker is using the word "died". Even so, a careful speaker might say: I died laughing (figuratively speaking).	[reply]
Re^6: poll ideas quest 2015 by chacham (Prior) on May 19, 2015 at 16:59 UTC
I died laughing (figuratively speaking). But, as parenthesis are not vocalized, that would come mean that he died while speaking in figures. And you thought you had math problems. :)	[reply]
Re^7: poll ideas quest 2015 by jdporter (Paladin) on May 19, 2015 at 23:55 UTC
You mean if it was said verbally? Somehow I don't think that would be a problem in reality; people use tone of voice -- which, incidentally, is hard to capture in writing. :-)	[reply]
Re^8: poll ideas quest 2015 by chacham (Prior) on May 20, 2015 at 12:04 UTC
Re^5: poll ideas quest 2015 by thargas (Deacon) on May 22, 2015 at 11:33 UTC
Unfortunately, the forces of common usage have demoted literally from a useful word to an intensifier. Even the Oxford English Dictionary includes this now (see here). I suppose I can't really get annoyed with them as they are only documenting how things are used. Since there are two contradictory meanings for "literally", it is now literally useless. :-)	[reply]
Re^6: poll ideas quest 2015 by jdporter (Paladin) on May 22, 2015 at 13:11 UTC
...an intensifier. So it's an expletive. :-)	[reply]
Re^7: poll ideas quest 2015 by thargas (Deacon) on Jun 22, 2015 at 14:11 UTC
:-) Especially when used in comments about its use.	[reply]


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