Really bugs me when people say 'literally' and mean 'figuratively'. Republican strategist Todd Harris on MSNBC just now: "The thing Palin needs to do is literally reach through the TV and grab those working Americans..." Uhh, isn't that setting the bar a bit high, Todd?
That's like when people say theory instead of hypothesis. If it sounds better, then it naturally makes sense :-P
- Nick Humphries
haha, and when people use 'nonplussed' for 'nonchalant'.or 'decimate' when they don't mean 1/10th.
- Anika
(reviving an old thread) It turns out this is a canard. In English, literally literally means figuratively, and decimate does mean reduce. There's a good article about this here: http://www.npr.org/templat... -- that contains various quotes from Jane Austen, Alcott, Twain, and Fitzgerald using literally to mean figuratively.
- j1m
I only say literally if I mean literally. And I'm not entirely sure Todd Harris is wrong about what Palin needs to do to win. :-P
- John (bird whisperer)
I hear the veep say it quite a bit these days. Makes me a little crazy watching his press conferences sometimes.
- Eric - seven eleven
from iPhone
Heard a sportscaster say "It's literally a do or die game!" That got my attention.
- Rob Michael (Atmos Trio)
Often, in current usage, "It's literally" is functionally equivalent to "Hear Ye, Hear Ye!" - it's simply a device to emphasize what follows.
- Micah
Is that a command Karma? If so, then, Micah, you are correct.
- Mitch
Now I'll have to google-up an essay, can't remember the who or the where, but a linguist that was building a thesis for the modern use of "like" (like... think Valley-Girl 'like'). Besides literally just reading the literature, she used discussions between her teenage daughter and her friends as sampling.
- Micah
She found 'like' was actually being used in a variety of modes, that it was relatively complex language phenomenon.
- Micah
No. Mitch, just a shorthand, but I am sure he appreciated it. :-)
- Karma Martell
If you want a great series of essays describing the perversion of English, check out "What Orwell Didn't Know."
- Mitch
Mitch, I'll have to read that. You might also enjoy this essay: "To See Truly Through a Glass Darkly: C. S. Lewis, George Orwell, and the Corruption of Language" | http://www.orthodoxytoday.org/article...
- Melanie Reed
this was mentioned in an episode of "how i met your mother", the one with the interventions, in the 3rd or 4th season:) Ted character would be correcting these all the time, however even since then, I guess I am using it in the wrong way.. well, at least I'm not a native-speaker-anchor-tv person:)
- Neşe
Recipe for the the delicious looking soup above is here http://www.seniormag.com/cookboo... FF, lemme know if you want me to make you a hot toddie. I might just have one with you!
- FFing Enigma
I think it needs a grilled cheese on the side and a dill pickle.
- Janet:#TeamMonique
I'm not kosher, but I'm serious about the difference with kosher chicken... we have a shortage of kosher meat in upstate new york. We were always buying bel and evans chicken when the kosher stuff was gone. we just started ordering our kosher chickens to the house. I can't tell you why... it makes no sense at all... but kosher chicken just makes better chicken soup. it is that salt probably. but I'm not sure. I know I sound elitist when I say it... but I'm not asking you to be kosher... just taste test
- NoahDavidSimon
It is happening again, and it has got to stop this instant! I am making an effort to eat more sensibly to lose a few pounds. I realize there are different time zones involved, but most every evening after I've eaten my dinner, I sit here to have some chill time, and I get bombarded with food pics, which then get discussed. I then head for the refrigerator around 10pm for late evening snacks. It's all YOUR fault, do you hear?
- Ian May
jlt, this particular recipe actually calls for a little bit of vinegar. You might want to check it out, the link's above. Noah, when I make soup I only use Kosher salt and sea salt. And you're right, it definitely makes a difference.
- FFing Enigma
Tina, I posted the recipe in the low carb room - it fits low carb criteria...I am an awful soup maker but will try this as it looks so darn good!
- Janet:#TeamMonique
my best friend is a Yemenite Jew. in Yemen they add Tumeric and a bit of curry to the soup. (also makes it more yellow which is appealing to the eyes)... it is yummy!
- NoahDavidSimon
Tumeric is great for adding color (works to dye paper too). I don't have any, but I do have some sweet curry. Might have to make some soup and try it. Thanks!
- FFing Enigma
Julio, that looks yummy!!! Sometimes I go to a restaurant here for a chicken & rice soup that looks like a cross between our two posts: chicken broth, rice, chicken, pico de gallo, and sliced avocado with lime juice squeezed on top.
- FFing Enigma
The answer currently is yes. It's a technological vision. But it will eventually be woven so completely into the web that we won't notice. One day we'll wonder how we ever lived without it.
- Christopher Galtenberg
Not sure I buy that Robert - wouldn't you just have a Google blog search for "real time web" (or technorati or whatever your blog search engine of choice is). Sure it would have taken longer... but if you really wanted to see all things "real time web" you could/would have.
- Brian Roy
There's a whole world of recursive chicken and the egg issues with Robert's statements. :-)
- Mark "Rizzn" Hopkins
The problem that exists is how slowly web pages update, relative to other forms of communication such as talking or instant messaging.
- Mike Chelen
Well I have used Twitter search to find a solution and I have always been able to find my answer or give some insight.
- PC Easy
from twhirl
Robert - does it matter that you wouldn't have found this blog post? While I agree information is fun, what benefit does the real time web have for the majority of us?
- Tyler Hurst
Tyler it's "benefits for the majority". Eventually. For "most of us" we're already using it and seeing the benefits. Recent world events show the benefits very clearly.
- Gilbert Harding
the essential thing seems to be: "determining commands by applying heuristics" for multi finger interaction. It is like exploding the space of interaction patterns. Like when you compare musical instruments which can play only one tone at a time with others enabling accords! See the title on page there: "Touch screen device, method, and graphical user interface for determining commands by applying heuristics".
- Willi Schroll
It's amazing to realize all the little spots in the background are galaxies like our milkyway, not just stars.
- TobiasVerhoog.com
Those deep focus Hubble images always blow my mind. As Tobias said, seeing bunches of galaxies of all shapes is amazing. I struggle to believe it's real.
- Fred Yankowski
Maybe there's just some shmutz on the hubble's mirrors? That would be embarrassing.
- Mitch