Dear Agony Uncle, I literally don’t know when to use the word ‘literally’ correctly. I’m sure there are literally hundreds of others out there also. Help!

Literally Minded, Melbourne

Dear Literally Minded,

Stylist, Rachel Zoe may be able to throw a look together like nobody else, but she’s not exactly known for her oratory skills. Take a look at the following clip.

‘Literally’ means that ‘exactly’ or ‘truly’, while dear old Miss Zoe misuses it in the context of ‘figuratively’, which means ‘metaphorically’. For example, instead of saying “This dress is so hot I literally died”, one should say “This dress is so hot I died, figuratively speaking.” Or, “That model is an absolute behemoth; she’s literally seven feet tall.” Either way, I’m sure you’ll see that in high rotation, ‘literally’ has the ability to make anyone sound stupid so avoid it at all costs.

I do believe there’s more for you to read: