Today's Word I Hate is that Jeremy Kyle favourite 'literally'.
I have no problem with the word when it is used as an adverb: 'having broken both legs, the rock-climber literally hauled himself up the cliff-face by his fingertips'. I do have a massive problem where it is used purely as an intensifier - and nowadays that's pretty much the only way it is ever used. As in Jeremy Kyle's famous comments such as, 'now let's meet the parents whose arguments are literally tearing their child apart.'
I have no idea whether this is an accepted useage. I don't care. It grates on me like nails on a blackboard.
PurpleDragon
I dislike that one as well, but I have to say "Guilty". I do try and not say it though. I have been trying to stop using supefluous or inappropriate words recently because I have found myself using them a lot. "Actually" is one of the one I use the most.