literally broke the dam
In a recent episode of South Park, Stan accidentally plows a boat into a beaver dam, flooding a nearby city. The South Park citizens set about laying blame, while victims of the flood fruitlessly wait for assistance. Everything is blamed for causing the flood: people driving SUVs, George Bush, global warming… even the “Crab People”.
Finally Stan can take no more of this finger-pointing, and admits, “I broke the dam!”
Before Stan can take responsibility, a bystander explains that Stan must be speaking allegorically: Stan did not mean that he personally broke the dam, he meant that all of us were indirectly responsible for the dam breaking.
Suddenly the citizens of South Park join in, one after another exclaiming “I broke the dam” in a display of solidarity not seen since the days of Spartacus.
Stan attempts to clear up this misunderstanding by protesting, “I literally broke the dam… on a boat… that wasn’t mine” but at this point the momentum of his allegory is too strong and nobody listens.
Not only does this show a correct use of the word “literally”, it shows the folly of not understanding what the word means!
For your viewing pleasure, here is a video:
- Play QuickTime Video (2.5MB)
