Literally AWOL

One of the signs of a civilization gone AWOL (absent without leave) is the abuse of language. The meaning of numerous words and concepts has been inverted, a phenomenon duly noted by George Orwell, and discussed at length by subsequent commentators.

​A parallel development is that many words and phrases have been misused and misapplied, often as the result of rampant laziness and ignorance. These misapplications are then propagated with lightning speed throughout the society, to include purportedly educated classes of people.

A particularly annoying example is the use of the term "literally." How many times must we cringe from such statements as "the politician's insulting remarks were literally a bomb tossed at the opposition." Or how about "I was literally freaking out when I heard that nonsense."

We cannot have intelligent discourse when people are literally shredding the language. Whenever I hear people literally using the word literally, my head literally explodes.