Don't Literally Have a Heart Attack! (literally)

The word "literally" comes from the Latin word for "letter" and means "according to the letter," or "word for word." Misuse of this word is becoming more common as people mistakenly use it as a synonym for "really." The following sentences use "literally" correctly:
          The novel was translated literally from the French.
          Some people interpret the Bible literally.


The language we use to express our thoughts can be either figurative (using symbolism, exaggeration, etc.) or literal. Sometimes we use language that appears to be figurative but is meant to be literal. In such a case, the word "literally" can be used to show that the words mean exactly what they say. The following sentences are examples:
        Without help from charities, the people of Somalia would literally starve to
             death. (Sometimes we say we are "starving" when we are merely hungry,
             but these people actually are starving.)
        The martyrs were literally thrown to the wolves. (Being thrust into
             a difficult situation can be described as being "thrown to the wolves," but
             in this case there were actual wolves.)
        The sailor knows his ropes, literally and figuratively.
        He's out to lunch, literally and figuratively.


In the above sentences, the word "literally" is used to distinguish between a figurative and a literal meaning of a word or phrase. You can see why adding "literally" to the following sentences would be a mistake:
         Dad hit the ceiling when he got the bill.
         The salsa was so hot that my mouth was on fire.
         It was raining cats and dogs.


Remember that "literally" is used before a word or phrase that is normally figurative, in order to show that in a particular sentence that word or phrase is NOT being used in a figurative sense. Only use "literally" when the words after it mean exactly what they say!  It should not be used to mean "really."



Here's a sentence that seems to contradict everything I've written, but I'd love to be able to say it someday in another life.....

                                      I LITERALLY DIED LAUGHING!




Postscript to today's blog--
      Today's events in Washington were literally earth-shaking!