OT - English 101 - Bias versus biased

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Vader

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#78
no, it's incorrectly used as an exaggeration. That's precisely the point. You couldn't use the word more incorrectly. Saying "I literally exploded" means you are essentially saying "rather than figuratively exploding in a metaphorical sense, I actually blew up as though stepping on a landmine".

It couldn't be more wrong. It's used to signify the opposite of figuratively; so no, it can't be forgiven at all! :cool:
It's called hyperbole:
A figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect, as in I could sleep for a year or This book weighs a ton.

It's a legitimate construct using the English language.

The one which really annoys me is lose/loose.
lose = opposite of win (ie lose a game of football)
loose = opposite of tight (ie his shoelaces were loose and needed to be re-tied)
 
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#80
It's called hyperbole:
A figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect, as in I could sleep for a year or This book weighs a ton.

It's a legitimate construct using the English language.
ah, yeah, I know what hyperbole is... and it has nothing to do with this; as those who use it for exaggeration are using precisely the wrong word & completely misunderstanding the concept of the word literal to the point of absurdity.

Using "literally" in conjunction with a metaphor to exaggerate the metaphor, rather than dispelling it and referring to the figurative alternative, is simply wrong. It's clearly not a legitimate construct using the English language; in fact it's the opposite, & you're absolutely wrong if you try to dispute that
 

MF

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#81
It's called hyperbole:
A figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect, as in I could sleep for a year or This book weighs a ton.

It's a legitimate construct using the English language.
I'm not sure what you're getting at here. He's not criticising the use of figurative exaggeration, he's criticising the use of the word 'literally' in front of it. The exact opposite of the word's intended use.
 

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#82
as my fiance will attest, that is my all time greatest gripe.

I cannot stand it when people use it so incorrectly: "I literally exploded" :rolleyes:
Tommy Hafey provided the greatest-ever misuse of the term 'literally'. He was covering a Geelong match on ABC radio:

"Ronnie Burns is on fire!......... (two second pause)....... Literally!!!
 

Subprime

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#84
Tommy Hafey provided the greatest-ever misuse of the term 'literally'. He was covering a Geelong match on ABC radio:

"Ronnie Burns is on fire!......... (two second pause)....... Literally!!!
Tommy Hafey - a great commentator.

I recall him predicting, after an early season loss by the Bears in their bad old days, "Its going to be a long, cold winter in Brisbane this year".
 

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#85
Another thing that irks me is when people incorrectly say "if I had have/'ve done this, then that wouldn't have happened".

The bolded bit shouldn't be there.

This mistake seems particularly confined to Australia. I've never heard an American or Englishman say the same thing.
 

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Claude Balls

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#87
It's called hyperbole:
A figure of speech in which exaggeration is used for emphasis or effect, as in I could sleep for a year or This book weighs a ton.

It's a legitimate construct using the English language.
It's not even close to a legitimate construct.
 

Sloth

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#88
ah, yeah, I know what hyperbole is... and it has nothing to do with this; as those who use it for exaggeration are using precisely the wrong word & completely misunderstanding the concept of the word literal to the point of absurdity.

Using "literally" in conjunction with a metaphor to exaggerate the metaphor, rather than dispelling it and referring to the figurative alternative, is simply wrong. It's clearly not a legitimate construct using the English language; in fact it's the opposite, & you're absolutely wrong if you try to dispute that
I disagree. If I said "She talked so much that at one point my head actually exploded" to convey a sense of meaning, nobody is going to think that it did actually explode, only that it felt like it. Exactly the same with the word literally.

However if it is just being used out of ignorance then that's different.
 

philohk

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#90
Another thing that irks me is when people incorrectly say "if I had have/'ve done this, then that wouldn't have happened".

The bolded bit shouldn't be there.

This mistake seems particularly confined to Australia. I've never heard an American or Englishman say the same thing.
Yanks say 'If I would have ...'. Add that to 'I could care less' as things that don't make sense in the real world.
 
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#91
A worthy thread, but based on my experience at the classroom coalface since returning home from o/s early this year, you're fighting a "loosing" battle.
 

Vader

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#92
A worthy thread, but based on my experience at the classroom coalface since returning home from o/s early this year, you're fighting a "loosing" battle.
What a "rediculous" claim. :p

PS. I agree with you. The spelling and grammar standards being taught today are abysmal.
 
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#94
I disagree. If I said "She talked so much that at one point my head actually exploded" to convey a sense of meaning, nobody is going to think that it did actually explode, only that it felt like it. Exactly the same with the word literally.

However if it is just being used out of ignorance then that's different.
but you would never hear anyone say that, because it's nonsensical. I've never heard someone say something like that, whereas I hear literally misused alll the time. I can pretty well guarantee you that in 99.9% of times literally is used in this context, it's not in an ironic sense, so it is in fact being used out of ignorance.

In any case, "literally" literally means the opposite of figuratively, so using it to describe something figurative is literally wrong ;)
 

Portmanteau

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#97
While we're on the topic, can the following be clarified:

1) "The game is hotting up," versus "The game is heating up."

Surely the latter is correct? Sandy Roberts loved to drop a "hotting up" into his calls.

2) "They lead by 5 goals to 2," versus "They lead by 3 goals. The score is 5 goals to 2."

Again, my opinion is that the second is the appropriate expression. Happy to be corrected on either of these.
 
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#98
Another thing that irks me is when people incorrectly say "if I had have/'ve done this, then that wouldn't have happened".

The bolded bit shouldn't be there.

This mistake seems particularly confined to Australia. I've never heard an American or Englishman say the same thing.

Fair enough. North Americans do, however, have the amazingly frustrating:

"off of" as in "he climbed up off of the canvas", as well as "anyways" and it's a long ways away". (these last two may be specifically Canadian).

Closer to home, I hate the description of a player as having good football nous (pronounced to rhyme with mouse).
Hate it!

That is all for now.
 
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