Literally...

Breakfast time is news-watching time. Period. I watch the local news and then the national news so I can catch up on the things that have happened in the six or seven hours since the last broadcast.

This morning, I'm watching a story about the Michael Jackson molestation case when I hear this little gem from the newscaster (a nationally known reporter who shall remain nameless): "The prospective jurors are literally bending over backwards to get on this jury."

And suddenly, I get a mental picture of 300 or 400 people doing elaborate contortions for the judge and attorneys.



You can't hear our little contortionist here, but I promise you she's saying, "Pleeeeease learn how to use the word 'literally' ... oh, hey, and could somebody scratch my nose? My toes are a little too far away..."

Think of "literally" as a spice. Some people use it like salt -- they liberally sprinkle it all over everything they say. But it shouldn't be used like salt. It should be used more like, umm, cumin or something.

Okay, I'll shut up now.