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sapinker's profile
Steven Pinker
Steven Pinker
Steven Pinker
Verified account
@sapinker

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Steven PinkerVerified account

@sapinker

Cognitive scientist at Harvard.

Boston, MA
pinker.wjh.harvard.edu
Joined January 2010

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    Steven Pinker‏Verified account @sapinker 26 Aug 2013

    When he said "I literally died" I literally exploded! If this is your reaction to "literally" used figuratively, seehttp://bit.ly/15d9kQn 

    10:44 AM - 26 Aug 2013
    • 92 Retweets
    • 58 Likes
    • John McAuliffe Eric Mortenson Armin Michael Lopresto Sweet Treats Atte Paukkeri David Clark Chris A.S. Paul
    23 replies 92 retweets 58 likes
      1. Yaron Minsky‏ @yminsky 26 Aug 2013
        Replying to @sapinker

        @sapinker Huh? Doesn't "literally" mean "less figuratively than you might expect", so "I literally died" is stronger than "I died".

        0 replies 0 retweets 1 like
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      1. Elaine Valk‏ @ElaineValk 28 Aug 2013
        Replying to @sapinker

        @sapinker This is a huge pet peeve of mine!

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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      1. Atte Paukkeri‏ @kuppadaddy_ 27 Aug 2013
        Replying to @sapinker

        @sapinker THANK YOU! I knew I wasn't alone with this pet peeve. "Literally" seems to have been diluted down to almost nothing

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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      1. Campbell Gemmell  🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🇪🇺 🇦🇺 🤓‏ @GoldishCJ 26 Aug 2013
        Replying to @sapinker

        @sapinker @kristinalford O what a woven webly tangle this language richness is! Thank goodness! &then there's flammable+inflammable! Pfeuff!

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      1. Chris‏ @TheFamousChris 26 Aug 2013
        Replying to @sapinker

        This is *wonderful*. The history of "literally" - http://bit.ly/15d9kQn  (via @sapinker)

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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      1. Donald Lockhart‏ @donald_lockhart 26 Aug 2013
        Replying to @sapinker

        @sapinker @OliverKamm in #colemanballs, snooker spectators "literally electrified and glued to their seats". Stuck with it I'm afraid.

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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      1. Graham Sutton‏ @grahamjsutton 26 Aug 2013
        Replying to @sapinker

        @sapinker all very well, but if you use 'literally' that way you will appear stupid.

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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      1. Craig Fox‏ @fynthorn 26 Aug 2013
        Replying to @sapinker

        @sapinker 'Literally' should have two different meanings or less.

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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      1. Craig Fox‏ @fynthorn 26 Aug 2013
        Replying to @sapinker

        @sapinker But, of course, 'misuse' in language points towards an expressive need.

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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      1. Craig Fox‏ @fynthorn 26 Aug 2013
        Replying to @sapinker

        @sapinker I literally have steam coming out of my ears. Not figurative steam. Real steam.

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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      1. John‏ @JohnAylwin 26 Aug 2013
        Replying to @sapinker

        @sapinker But it's being used as an exclamation. It's only by coincidence that the usage is correct.

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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      1. misty‏ @LYNNMILDNER 26 Aug 2013
        Replying to @sapinker

        @sapinker @OliverKamm I literally freaked out when I read this!

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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      1. New conversation
      2. Jamie Harley‏ @JAHarley 26 Aug 2013
        Replying to @sapinker

        “@sapinker: When he said "I literally died" I literally exploded! http://bit.ly/15d9kQn ” Good article on language via @OliverKamm

        1 reply 0 retweets 0 likes
      3. John Kernan‏ @Kernan_CBL_CCA 26 Aug 2013
        Replying to @JAHarley

        @JAHarley @sapinker @OliverKamm Of course, Jamie Redknapp is the master, e.g. "In his youth, Michael Owen was literally a greyhound." :-)

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
      4. End of conversation
      1. Abigail Neal‏ @abbycneal 26 Aug 2013
        Replying to @sapinker

        “@sapinker: ... If this is your reaction to "literally" used figuratively, see http://bit.ly/15d9kQn ” @NelpasNelpas this bugs me so much!

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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      1. Laurie‏ @LavalleeCA 26 Aug 2013
        Replying to @sapinker

        @sapinker The word, now bloated, has sunk and hit the seafloor. Need a substitute swimmer.

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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      1. Chuck Baggett - let's play #Scrabble #Boggle etc.‏ @ChuckBaggett 26 Aug 2013
        Replying to @sapinker

        @sapinker I think people use literally without realizing they are using it mean figuratively. The literal meaning of literal is being lost.

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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      1. Steve‏ @Watching_events 26 Aug 2013
        Replying to @sapinker

        @sapinker I'm okay with literally. Though 'coukd care less' does about me,since its meaning is the opposite, and only used in USA?

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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      1. (((Christian JB)))  🐌‏ @christianjbdev 26 Aug 2013
        Replying to @sapinker

        @sapinker Reminds me of the perpetual arguments over the word 'theory'.

        0 replies 0 retweets 0 likes
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