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Much has been made of the use, misuse and overuse of the word “literally.”
Literally, of course, means something that is actually true: “Literally every pair of shoes I own was ruined when my apartment flooded.”
When we use words not in their normal literal meaning but in a way that makes a description more impressive or interesting, the correct word, of course, is “figuratively.”
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In this case "literally's" meaning literally hasn't change. I think people miss the point in that sentence. You have to understand that "every pair of shoes" is a
hyperbole, and it only works as a hyperbole, and retains its irony if "literally" retains its meaning.
A hyperbole is "an extravagant statement or figure of speech
not intended to be taken literally."
Hyperbole | Define Hyperbole at Dictionary.com Otherwise if you started the sentence with "figuratively" you literally loose the irony of the hyperbole, and it wouldn't make much sense imo. Even though not all the shoes were not ruined, the ones that were could not be “figuratively” ruined, if they were actually ruined.
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Originally Posted by mord
Actually, I like you a lot, Nea. That's why I treat you like ****. It's the MB way.
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"it counts in our hearts" ?ºº?
“I have nothing to offer anybody, except my own confusion.” Jack Kerouac.
“If one listens to the wrong kind of music, he will become the wrong kind of person.” Aristotle.
"If you tried to give Rock and Roll another name, you might call it 'Chuck Berry'." John Lennon
"I look for ambiguity when I'm writing because life is ambiguous." Keith Richards