Comments on: literally stunned

By: Kristin

Kristin — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 15:45:24 +0000

Incorrect. Because he added the “literally,” it implied that he was physically stunned.

By: Kenneth LeCroy

Kenneth LeCroy — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:29:35 +0000

“such as when Pearl Harbor was attacked or finding out your girlfriend is cheating on you (wait, it’s doubtful this guy has a girlfriend). Let’s hope Microsoft engineers don’t change things up too much lest this guy figuratively have a cow.”

Well, if his girlfriend *is* a cow, he could literally “have” a cow. Or less sexual - it shocked him so much he could make him slip into a steak eating frenzy - he could “have a cow” sans lips and horn, we hope.

By: Literally, A Web Log » Blog Archive » literally shocked his audience

Literally, A Web Log » Blog Archive » literally shocked his audience — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 19:59:08 +0000

[…] See also: literally stunned […]

By: Cody

Cody — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 22:00:20 +0000

I think it’s probably an okay usage of the word stunned, although it’s unnecessary as Ellen said. More importantly, though, who would be literally stunned (or care) that Microsoft is changing its format of Outlook 2007? Doesn’t one become stunned when something a bit more serious occurs, such as when Pearl Harbor was attacked or finding out your girlfriend is cheating on you (wait, it’s doubtful this guy has a girlfriend). Let’s hope Microsoft engineers don’t change things up too much lest this guy figuratively have a cow.

By: Ellen

Ellen — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 17:46:36 +0000

While I do think she truly was stunned, by definition 2 or 3, I don’t think she was using literally in it’s basic meaning of “not figuratively” because, leave the word out, and it’s not like we’d imagine she was figuratively stunned. (Not unless we are thinking of defintion one, but, then, she was not actually stunned by that definition.)

By: Ken

Ken — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 20:34:57 +0000

Unnecessary, but it could possibly be correct based on definition 2.
There are literally thousands of worse examples of blatant misuse of the word literally.
Love that this site is out there!

By: \

Sat, 30 Jun 2007 23:05:12 +0000

I like it best if stunned has the first meaning, making it incorrect (unless the guy actually passed out). Those other meanings are a bit transcendent, derived from the true meaning of being in shock.

It’s sort of like if someone said “I literally become retarded when I hear someone abuse language”. I would take that to mean they “literally become a retard” (incorrect), not that they “literally start acting stupid” (unnecessary).

PS. I love this site… LITERALLY!! (Wow, that doesn’t even begin to make sense.)