• Ilovethebomb@lemm.ee
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    4 months ago

    I think anyone who uses the word “literally” to mean anything other than “in a literal sense” is a moron who never actually thinks about what the words coming out of their mouth mean, and I always will.

    • Jiggle_Physics@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      People who do not seem to understand that language is different than they wish it to be, are the actual morons. Not only morons, but pampas morons. Language is messy, imprecise, and always in flux. Language is a construct of the collective of its speakers, not you alone, nor anyone else. This is why we have specific lexicons for various industries, and academic fields. Even those are constantly being updated, and revised.

      • gandalf_der_12te@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        4 months ago

        Language is […] always in flux

        And, more importantly, I will use language as I please; I don’t have to justify my use of words to anyone. That is why I don’t see why people complain about using words “the wrong way”. Even if it is, I will still insist on my right to produce whatever gibberish my mouth is willing to put forward.

        Edit: In other words, right to be wrong.

          • gandalf_der_12te@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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            3 months ago

            In fact, not even everybody has to understand it. If I say something that I think is true, but in a language that only I can speak, then it would be okay for me to say it anyways, even if nobody understands it. That is because while it’s important to always speak the truth, it’s not always important to be understood by others.

    • kaffiene@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      The use of literal to mean figurative has been common for hundreds of years (literally). If it’s good enough for James Joyce, it’s good enough for you