Editing 1108: Cautionary Ghost
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | This comic is a | + | This comic is a comment on the futility of arguing over the commonly mocked usage of the word "literally" to mean "figuratively, with great emphasis." The comics [http://www.explosm.net/comics/2923/ Cyanide & Happiness] and [http://www.theoatmeal.com/comics/literally Oatmeal] are examples of this sort of derision. |
− | + | The comic employs the device used in {{w|Charles Dickens}}'s ''{{w|A Christmas Carol}}'', in which the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future awaken the main character in the middle of the night to show him the negative causes and effects of his selfish and uncharitable behaviour. | |
− | + | That the two "different" futures are exactly (i.e. literally) the same suggests that the man's struggle to get people to stop using "literally" incorrectly will have no meaningful effect on the world, and so the man (and by extension, everyone else) may as well stop wasting time and energy on it. | |
− | + | The title text indicates that a second apparition encouraged the man to continue the fight on a different grammatical issue: the use of the phrase "if it were," which is frequently incorrectly substituted with "if it was." {{w|English subjunctive#Use of the past subjunctive|'Subjunctive past tense'}} is most commonly used in a counterfactual condition (i.e. when referencing something that is not the case). For example, the sentence "If I were rich, I wouldn't have to work for a living," contains the prescribed usage. However, some people would phrase this sentence as: "If I 'was' rich, I wouldn't have to work for a living." This usage grates on the ears of many people — including, apparently, the man in the comic. The comic appears to suggest that "if I were" is a more important issue than the incorrect usage of the word "literally." | |
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Another xkcd comic, [[725: Literally]], also refers to the overly mocked usage of "literally." | Another xkcd comic, [[725: Literally]], also refers to the overly mocked usage of "literally." | ||
− | A similar ghost is seen in [[1393: Timeghost]], where it | + | A similar ghost is seen in [[1393: Timeghost]], where it is the passing of time that is on the agenda. |
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==Transcript== | ==Transcript== | ||
− | :[A man wakes up to an apparition hovering over | + | :[A man wakes up to an apparition hovering over their bed.] |
:Apparition: ''ooOOOOOOOOOOooooo'' | :Apparition: ''ooOOOOOOOOOOooooo'' | ||
:Man: A ghost!? | :Man: A ghost!? | ||
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{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} | ||
[[Category:Language]] | [[Category:Language]] | ||
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