Like, literally - literally!

Most of you will sadly be aware of my pet rant against the (mainly American) misuse of the word 'literally'. We captioners talk about these things, you see. I think it's time to share some of the pearlers that have drifted through our headphones in the last couple of months. In order of favouritism...

1. "I'm, like, literally breaking my ass getting the screwdriver, getting the extension cord."
2. "I feel like a shit in my mouth, literally."
3. "I was literally sick at my stomach." *
4. "The two made a brilliant couple, literally." (No, they were not shiny.)

One of our captioners, an ex-journalist, fondly remembers typing out the copy for a phoned-in story about a man who had OD'd on sherbert. We kid you not - "He was literally fizzing at the butt." Beautiful use of the word!

And a couple of our favourite tautologies:

1. "The animals are losing their habitats and the places where they live." Shame on you, 'Totally Wild'!
2. "I was in tears and I was crying."
3. "And in my mind, I'm thinking..."

We are none of us perfect, but most of us aren't being broadcast!

* How you can throw up at your own stomach I don't know, unless you've had it forcibly extracted first.