Comments on: literally drink in the experience

By: Robert Cantoni

Robert Cantoni — Fri, 07 Apr 2006 20:53:55 +0000

Fitz, I haven’t been back here since November; your response to my post really sets me straight. The example is much subtler without the clumsy use of “literally.”

I find it interesting to conjecture, perhaps contrary to your observation above, that this use of “literally” isn’t added to make sure the reader “gets it” in the way that a television show will go overboard in its exposition and/or explanation of major plot points (24 is horrible at this). Somehow the joke-y aspect of it is supposed to make the writer seem more clever than if the metaphor hadn’t been pointed out. The reflexive self-awareness actually sucks all the meaning out of the metaphor itself.

Anyway, thanks for the insight. “Pedantry with a purpose” isn’t a bad motto.

By: Fitz

Fitz — Mon, 07 Nov 2005 01:12:50 +0000

@asx: punctuation and quotation marks vary depending on region and situation, as described on the following Wikipedia page: Quotation mark.

I have a Computer Science degree and a background in technical documentation so I lean toward the more logically-strict forms.

By: -asx-

-asx- — Sun, 06 Nov 2005 18:51:10 +0000

Hey, isn’t that period supposed to be inside the quote mark, where you say:

I also like the apostrophe abuse in “B&B’s”.

???

By: Netxis

Netxis — Thu, 03 Nov 2005 20:11:27 +0000

Take it easy. Bob’s still trying to gain some traction over at “Typos, A Web Log.”

Comma splices, however, are an abomination. J’accuse!

By: Amber

Amber — Thu, 03 Nov 2005 03:40:10 +0000

It’s official, we’ve hit the big time… we’ve got snarky commenters!

By: Fitz

Fitz — Thu, 03 Nov 2005 02:20:59 +0000

BobH: sorry, but with all my life-sucking activities I have little time left over to check for speelling errors.

By: BobH

BobH — Thu, 03 Nov 2005 00:09:21 +0000

If you’re going to be so pedantic (while, incidentally, trying to suck any life out of the work of writers far more creative than you) you might want to work on your spelling. From your own response to this post:

“It’s like when someone tells a not particularly clever joke, then procedes to explain why it’s funny.”

Procedes?

By: Fitz

Fitz — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 17:54:45 +0000

Robert: thanks for your comment.

I appreciate the intention of using “literally” in this way, I just think, as you say, it is clumsy. It’s like when someone tells a not particularly clever joke, then procedes to explain why it’s funny. “Get it? They were frayed knots!”

In this example, a rather nice piece of writing (”a quest: to try to drink in the French winemaking experience”) was turned into a cheap joke (”a quest: to try to drink in, literally, the French winemaking experience. Get it? Because we’re drinking wine!”)

By: Robert Cantoni

Robert Cantoni — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 16:33:07 +0000

I appreciate your website–I’m here through Slate’s link–because this is a fun usage to notice and mock through absurdity (e.g., by making statements such as “My mouth is literally on fire. Literally” when eating hot food).

There’s some dissonance in the figurative use of literally that I find interesting. The Slate article is in favor of such use in general.

Even if we reject a figurative use of literally in general, I fail to see how even a strict literalist can disapprove of this somewhat clumsy but clear attempt to link the “drinking in” of an experience to the literal act of drinking. But fair enough, I will concede to your own judgment of what fits with your website’s standards.

That Slate article is here: http://www.slate.com/id/2129105/

By: Fitz

Fitz — Tue, 01 Nov 2005 15:42:11 +0000

Scott:

The plural should be “B&Bs”. The possesive would be “I walked into the B&B’s kitchen”.

The exception would be an abbreviation that contains periods: “Ph.D.’s”

Google Answers has a good summary.