The Posh Paw Blog

What is a word you feel that too many people use?

There’s a word I can’t escape these days.
It’s in emails. It’s in Instagram captions. It’s in meetings, text messages, and even casual conversation over coffee.

That word, darling, is “literally.”

Now, I adore language. I love a good flourish, a dramatic pause, even the occasional exaggeration when the story calls for it. But literally has become the hot sauce people slather on everything — whether it needs flavor or not.

“I literally can’t even.”
“I literally died laughing.”
“I literally froze to death waiting for you.”

Really? Because if you’d literally died laughing, I’d be sending flowers, not replying to your story. And if you’d literally frozen to death waiting for me, you wouldn’t have been able to text me your complaint with those charmingly frosty emojis.

I remember when “literally” was a serious word. Reserved for factual events. Something that actually happened. “The cake literally slid off the counter.” Now that paints a picture. I can see it, smell it, hear the thud.

But somewhere along the way, “literally” lost its dignity and started moonlighting as a drama enhancer for the mildly inconvenienced. It’s like wearing a ballgown to the supermarket — entirely possible, occasionally entertaining, but wildly overdone if it becomes your everyday look.

And here’s the thing: overuse dulls the sparkle. If every moment is literally the most amazing, shocking, devastating, unforgettable moment of your life… well, I’m going to start wondering if you’re just bad at picking moments.

So here’s my little wish: let’s return “literally” to its rightful place. Save it for the stories that deserve it. Use it when the event is so undeniable, so precisely accurate, that you need the word to ground it in reality.

Stay fabulous,
Luce 💋