>On the taped episode of The Office we watched last night, Michael misused the word “literally” — as so many do — to describe something that was very obviously figurative. (I can’t remember what it was exactly, but that doesn’t really matter here.) The following exchange resulted:
Virago: I just love it when people misuse “literally” like that.
Bullock: Yeah, it’s really aggravating, isn’t it?
Te-hee!
>That literally makes my blood boil. I have pills for it. …of course, the worst offender in this matter is our Vice President-Elect, bless his heart. He at one point asserted that the next president could “literally change the direction of the world.” That sounds really dangerous.
>My all time favorite misuse of literally occurred during the reporting of “Princess” Diana’s death. Someone said, “she literally touched everyone with her…” I don’t remember what appendage or quality she’d used to touch everyone because I was laughing so hard. I pictured her as something like this