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Pedants' corner

Literally

(56 Posts)
mrsmopp Wed 18-Jun-14 14:04:29

Colleague comes back from lunch, sopping wet.
"It's literally raining cats and dogs out there", she says. The pedant in me wants to yell, "No, it's Not!!"
But this kind of thing is happening a lot, isn't it?
"I was literally over the moon!"
"I was literally killing myself laughing."
Oh it does annoy me.

annodomini Sun 22-Jun-14 19:28:04

Paula, one good reason for having a pedants' corner is to allow us fusspots to let off steam among ourselves rather than tactlessly correct others' spelling, grammar or vocabulary, in other forums.

Ana Sun 22-Jun-14 19:30:19

Yes, indeed, anno! We all have our little foibles, papaoscar...wink

Elegran Sun 22-Jun-14 19:36:06

Reasonable people (that does not include absolutely everyone ) are very happy to use Pedants' Corner for . . . ermm . . . pedantry . . . where they can dissect language without slowing down the conversation.

mrsmopp Mon 23-Jun-14 00:39:21

Elegran (auto correct changes you to Elegant!)
Are you?
smile

Soutra Mon 23-Jun-14 08:39:28

Still wondering what on earth paula 8 might mean by "cute".confused

Riverwalk Mon 23-Jun-14 08:50:01

Soutra I remember when cute meant sly and calculating - I assume that's what Paula means!

Soutra Mon 23-Jun-14 08:56:15

Of course - in Pedants'corner one could not expect less than a precise use of a word.

thatbags Mon 23-Jun-14 08:56:22

Or simply "acute" from its origins, meaning sharp-pointed, keenly perceptive, mentally penetrating, etc.

Which all we pedants are, of course.

That literally goes without saying smile

Ariadne Mon 23-Jun-14 09:13:20

I don't think there is any question, in Pedants' Corner, of correcting other people (much as we'd like to sometimes!) It is just a place to air views on the use, or misuse of language.

Why, paula is it "cute" to correct other people's errors? Just wondering...

Lilygran Mon 23-Jun-14 09:15:33

'Cute' used to be an American word. I think the internet has spread its use. In older American novels, 'cunning' is used in the same way. Please can we have a campaign about 'infamous'? Doesn't mean very famous! No, it doesn't! I'm regularly wracking my brains to try to remember what the scandal was about some perfectly upright person or blameless event in the news. Then I realise.

thatbags Mon 23-Jun-14 09:16:29

Cute in a derisory sense in this instance, I'm guessing. I expect others are guessing that too.

thatbags Mon 23-Jun-14 09:17:03

Which is why people are asking paula what she meant. Does it matter, really?

jinglbellsfrocks Mon 23-Jun-14 09:19:43

Boring would be a better word than cute. [yawn]

Elegran Mon 23-Jun-14 09:35:22

Mrs Mopp Sadly, no.

jinglbellsfrocks Mon 23-Jun-14 09:37:09

(I didn't mean paula was being boring). Just the rest of you

jinglbellsfrocks Mon 23-Jun-14 09:37:47

Actually - not crossed out.

HollyDaze Mon 23-Jun-14 09:40:31

(I didn't mean paula was being boring). Just the rest of you

grin

Atqui Mon 23-Jun-14 09:50:59

Please excuse me if someone else has already said this, but last year 'literally' was included in the dictionary in its fashionable form ( as an emphasising adjective or adverb?) as well as it's former ,as we would say 'correct' form.
Just as irritating is the constant use of 'like'.

suebailey1 Mon 23-Jun-14 11:40:17

Everything is iconic these days when it really isn't.

rockgran Tue 24-Jun-14 15:11:41

I enjoy being pedantic about stuff and having a good old moan- everyone needs a hobby! grin

papaoscar Tue 24-Jun-14 15:28:08

LilyG, do you remember Caesar's famous utterance - Infamy, infamy, they've all got it in for me! as expressed by Kenneth Williams just before they sorted him out in the Carry On film?

Lilygran Tue 24-Jun-14 15:59:25

Yes, indeed I do, papaoscar!

mrsmopp Thu 26-Jun-14 22:15:37

I fail to understand how literally can mean anything other than, well, literally? It's like saying exactly doesn't mean exactly!
Clearly I am being pedantic but that's what this forum is for.
Did we all go to grammar schools? I think my English Language teachers would be shocked by what's happening to this lovely language of ours. It's being wrecked IMHO.

Ana Thu 26-Jun-14 22:21:00

'Did we all go to grammar schools'? Was that a serious enquiry, mrsmopp? hmm

Penstemmon Thu 26-Jun-14 23:01:04

You pedants all need to get off of youre high horses and let langwidge evolve as it has done over the years threw yousige. their is not nothing to be done about it. Stuff happens and lifes' a bitch! Except for the phrase 'can I get a coffee' when speaking to a barrista ( or a barrister??) which is just wrong, IMHO wink wink