Submitted on Monday 19th August 2013
Rejected on Wednesday 21st June 2017
Current status: Rejected
Rejection code: no-action (see below for details)
Keep the word 'literally' to mean literally
The DfE must improve the standard of english being taught in schools. If they did, the OED would not have to pander to those who use the english language incorrectly.
What is wrong with this quote from football pundit Jamie Redknapp? "In his youth, Michael Owen was literally a greyhound."
The answer is: nothing. That is because the editors of the Oxford English Dictionary have changed the definition of "literally" - so it can now be used in a similar way to "metaphorically."
Senior OED editor Fiona MacPherson told BBC Radio 5 live's Breakfast: "If enough people use a word in a particular way... it will find its way into the dictionary."
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The Government e-Petitions Team gave the following reason:
18.222.203.144 Sun, 02 Jun 2024 21:52:16 +0100
