Around Quote by John Cooper Clarke
“Literally' - I'm not having it; people can't go around saying 'literally.' Otherwise, what's literal? There's not another word for literally: if it isn't figurative or metaphorical, what is it? It's literal: there's no substitute.”
About This Quote
Source Poem: "Literally", 2015
The word “literally” is misused, blurring literal and figurative language, causing confusion.
In simple terms: People misuse “literally”.
Key Takeaway
Use words accurately.
Themes
language
communication
semantics
Mood
playful
critical
Type
poetic
observational
When to use this quote
- social media
- casual conversation
- writing
- teaching
Key Concepts
literal meaning
figurative speech
lexical drift
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do we cling to slang?
- How does misuse affect clarity?
A Different Perspective
Changing habits is hard.
![“What's cool is that in the story of the movie [The Hangover] our characters are also really kind of getting to know each other and bonding over the course of the movie. And I think you're seeing a real, a literal sort of friendship growing both in us as actors and on screen as characters.” quote by Ed Helms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/c78/ed-helms-4996_actors_what-s-cool-is-that-in-the-story-of-the_73568.jpg)
