Hey kids, it’s game time again. Look and listen around you for misuse of the word “literally,” then take a moment to consider the image. The following are examples my friends, family and I have heard over the years. They have been stashed away in an imaginary treasure chest, until now.
“Our salesmen are literally walking encyclopedias.”
“I was literally glued to the television.”
“Books were literally flying off the shelves.”
“The words literally jumped off the page.”
“I was literally caught with my pants down.”
Ah, and to discover there’s a blog devoted solely to misuse of the word that, while not updated in a few months, illustrates (literally!) what such phrases would look like, including “he literally charmed the pants off of everyone,” as well as a spokesperson’s comment about Sarah Palin, “the world is literally her oyster.” Take a look and let’s hope the blogger resumes soon with regular posts.
If you’ll excuse me, I literally have to fly.
Word Nymph 
Monica, I literally loved the blog.