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by staticassertion
1555 days ago
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The hyperbolic use of "literally" to mean "figuratively" goes back hundreds of years. > : in effect : VIRTUALLY —used in an exaggerated way to emphasize a statement or description that is not literally true or possible
will literally turn the world upside down to combat cruelty or injustice
— Norman Cousins https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literally They justify this in a few places, including > The "in effect; virtually" meaning of literally is not a new sense. It has been in regular use since the 18th century and may be found in the writings of Mark Twain, Charlotte Brontë, James Joyce, and many others. edit: HN was loading really weird for me, I didn't see the sibling comment make this point already! |
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