literally exploding with confidence
October 30th, 2006 by Fitz
Yet another example of “literally exploding” abuse, submitted by Slavisa Tasic:
WSJ Opinion Journal
“Kurds have money,” Prime Minister Nechervan Barzani told me. “But until recently, they lacked the confidence to invest.” If the junior Mr. Barzani is correct, Kurdistan is literally exploding with confidence and new projects befitting its ambitions: Almost $2 billion in Turkish trade and investment–the result, partly, of his outreach to Ankara–is financing the construction the Middle East’s largest new conference center, a new international airport, hotels, parks, bridges, tunnels, overpasses, a refinery and an electrical plant.
October 30th, 2006 at 2:27 pm
Ewwww! And, um, duck!
November 21st, 2006 at 2:47 pm
I checked in the dictionary and saw that besides a burst due to internal pressure, exploding could mean:
a. making an emotional outburst
b. suddenly increasing
c. suddenly changing
I think the 3rd option is most suited in this situation.
In any case they all can be used after literally.