whereisyourbeta:

Literally is a word I see misused a lot. In fact, it might be one of the most misused words in the English language. So, allow me to clear things up a bit:

The word literally is used to show that the speaker is not exaggerating or using a figure of speech, they mean exactly…

This is a fair point. Which I why I accept the use of literally to mean figuratively - even though it goes completely against the meaning - when it is used in conversations and dialogue. However, I believe that if you are trying to write in a serious manner, or speak in a serious manner, you should use the word ‘literally’ to mean ‘literally.’

I suppose I should have mentioned that whether or not you use literally as its intended definition depends upon the tone of what you are writing. If you are being casual and sarcastic, then the ‘misuse’ of literally is perfectly acceptable. However, if you are trying to write a serious piece and you use ‘literally’ incorrectly, it takes away from the serious tone you are trying to achieve. I point this out because I have seen it done. I also fear that because of the way the word is used colloquially, some people may not realize what the word actually means. Many people pick up vocabulary words as children - and even as adults - from what they hear, and the definition of that word is gleaned from context. Hence, the way we use literally may lead some people genuinely not know the true definition of the word.

TL;DR: ‘Misusing’ literally is completely acceptable for hyperbole, sarcasm, etc. But be aware of the true definition and use it accordingly in serious writing.

Literally is a word I see misused a lot. In fact, it might be one of the most misused words in the English language. So, allow me to clear things up a bit:

The word literally is used to show that the speaker is not exaggerating or using a figure of speech, they mean exactly what they say. 

For example, if you say “My mom is literally going to kill me.” then you must mean that you mother is going to grab a shotgun, knife, shiv or some other weapon and murder you with it. Exactly as you say.

If you say “I was literally dying.” then you are describing an event in which you were actually on the brink of death: bleeding out from a wound to the neck, suffering from a severe or terminal illness.

These are phrases people actually use, but many times they are wrong. Before you use the word literally, think about what you’re saying. Do you mean it LITERALLY?

The only thing that should ever be referred to as a secret garden is an actual garden shrouded in secrecy. 

Metaphors can be tricky business, and when writing a sensual scene, you want to make sure the ones you’re using are appropriate. You don’t want to ruin the mood, or make things sound silly. I prefer to use metaphors sparingly, if at all, when writing sex scenes.

A prime example of an inappropriate metaphor is this:

“My orgasm hits me like a liquid hot chocolate souffle bursting under too intense heat.”

Please, don’t do that. First of all, the average reader is likely unfamiliar with the art of the souffle, so they won’t have experience with watching a souffle burst under heat. Secondly, food metaphors just sound silly.

BREATH is a noun. So in a context such a ‘take a breath’ or ‘stole the breath from his lungs’ you would use BREATH and not BREATHE.

BREATHE is a verb. For example, ‘remember to breathe,’ or ‘breathe in, now breathe out.’

The difference may seem little, just an ‘e’ tacked on to the end, but it makes a big difference. That little ‘e’ is what changes this sentence from serious, to hilarious:

So, in conclusion, BREATH is a noun, BREATHE is a verb. You would do well to remember these. You don’t want to be the one confusing them. Don’t be that guy.

Them muscles certainly do fly.

(For those unfamiliar with the ALOT, you can learn about it here)

“He was slowly kissing her neck, finding her pulse, behind her ear, and exploring the whole area with his mouth, as she began to writhe underneath him, moaning his name, before she began to mindlessly babble from sheer arousal. Realizing that he’d suddenly hit a minefield of erogenous zones for {female character}, he began to devour her neck with savagery.

{Female character} was literally dying. Her neck was such a clichéd erogenous zone, but she didn’t care.”

Misuse of the word literally is my favorite kind of error because it’s one of the most amusing. Here we see that she is LITERALLY dying from him kissing her neck, which gives us all sorts of fun implications. Is he secretly a vampire who is actually sucking her blood rather than just kissing her? Does he have some sort of potent toxin on his lips that is being absorbed through her skin and killing her? Or does she have some sort of fatal allergy to the hormones that are caused by sexual arousal? So many possible interesting directions this could be taken, and yet… the author doesn’t make use of any of them.

Character’s name censored to protect the fandom.

He WAS unconsciousness. Still.

Obligatory post about Fifty Shades of Grey