As you may have discussed in class, ‘literally’ is one of the most misused words in the English language. Here are some examples from the ‘Literally’ weblog:
Professional tennis player Serena Williams said:
“I was really excited that I went ahead to play Hobart because I was really rusty, and I can see the rust shedding from my game literally.”
Allergies at the Dinner Table reported:
“One of the symptoms of food allergy is dread, Mindlin explains. She knows something is very wrong and literally tries to jump out of skin. It’s unbearable to watch.”
Now prepare to cringe… this is a correct usage of ‘literally’ but it isn’t for the faint of heart:
Villanova basketball star Allan Ray had his eyeball literally poked out of its socket by an opposing player in a game.
Apparently the medical term for having one’s eye literally poked out of the socket is “globe luxation.” And the delicate procedure by which doctors replace a luxated globe?
Doctors apply some topical painkillers, hold back your lashes, and poke your eyeball into its socket by pressing on the white part with gloved fingers. In some cases, they’ll use a simple tool like a bent paperclip to shoehorn it back into place! I hope you will try to keep an eye out for other correct uses of literally.
Any misuses of literally that you would like to post?
english@cc 